We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely —E.O. Wilson
The current world of alternative culture thrives on creativity and innovation. Emerging technology empowers small companies and individuals to take on larger entities with remarkable agility and dexterity. Gen-Z's rise of creators and influencers sparks a cultural revolution that values passion and hustle over the mundane 9-to-5 grind. Through creative expression, we break free from established norms and forge new paths into uncharted territories of the future.
The State of the Culture (2023)
But the world of alternative culture is flourishing. That’s where the future is happening right now. By alt culture, I’m referring to things like podcasts, Bandcamp albums, YouTube channels, Substacks, and various other emerging platforms. Some of these aren’t just growing, they are growing exponentially. Consider the fact that there are now 36 YouTube channels with more than 50 million subscribers—each of these has far more reach than any record label or newspaper.
Ted Gioia in The honest Broker | 14 Minutes
Fewer.
Increasingly scale is a disadvantage because modern technology, cloud computing, and marketplaces from Upwork to Shopify allow small firms and individuals to tap into scaled resources just in time while being agile and keeping costs flexible. Technology is the slingshot that allows David to take on Goliath. In addition to enabling technology there is a new mindset favoring small: Over a third of Gen-Z have side-hustles and side-gigs as being a maker, owner, creator, influencer is far more compelling than being just a managed employee.
Rishad Tobaccowala | 6 minutes
Does Evolution have a Direction?
Zooming out, from basic particles to atoms, molecules, stars, galaxies, life, and culture, the universe has clearly become more complex over time. Over the course of biological evolution we have gone from RNA to single-celled organisms to multicellular organisms to complex nervous systems, societies, etc. Similarly, the last 10,000 years of cultural evolution has seen a massive increase in the complexity of human civilization, from small groups of hunter-gatherers without much division of labor to much larger groups with massive specialization and division of labor.
Erik Torenberg | 6 minutes
How to build an Immortal Society
We rely on communities for companionship, for economic opportunities, but also for the tribes to think for us. We do have online communities that have sprung up that are arguably often just sharing with each other general moods and ideas about how the world works [..] Our interpersonal social life went from the material world to the digital world; we've replaced the local club with a favourite Signal chat group; private DMs [..] But we're still thinking the same thoughts that our friends and our peers are thinking; we're still doing group think.
Samo Burja in The Aubservation | 35 minutes