Aswath Krishnan

They used to say you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. That was before the internet hijacked your attention span and filled your brain with digital sludge. Today, your closest companions aren’t friends, mentors, or thoughtful voices. They're algorithmically boosted, attention-seeking strangers yelling into the Internet void—clickbait journalists, TikTok dancers, Twitter thinkbois, clout-chasing grifters, promiscuous influencers, silly comedy Reelers, and conspiracy-peddling uncles in WhatsApp group chats. In short: idiots. And the worst part? They’re shaping you. Your brain—like an AI model—is plastic. Moldable. Continuously trained on whatever data you feed it. And right now, you’re feeding it junk. Doomscroll long enough and you’re not just consuming idiocy—you’re becoming it. Look at your feed. Really look. Out-of-context quotes. Shallow outrage. Celebrity gossip no one will remember in 48 hours. Fake experts selling fake solutions. Outrage bai...

I feel a rush of energy whenever I'm in NYC.  It hits me the moment I step out of the airport, and it's there every time I leave my hotel or brother’s apartment. NYC has majestic buildings, thriving retail, and jam-packed roads. But the main catalyst for making it feel so alive is its people — Pedestrians. Everywhere. When I first left home to attend university in Singapore, my uncle (who had lived abroad before) wisely advised me to go to crowded places if I felt lonely—and it really helped. But my hostel didn’t have crowded spaces, especially after dark. Sure, you can go to malls, restaurants, or events, but those aren’t practical everyday activities. I find Seattle and most suburbs or even cities in the US to be similar. You barely see people in the streets; just cars or an eerie (serene, if you prefer) emptiness. My mom is often surprised by how she doesn't run into a single soul, save the birds and rabbits, during her daily walks in the neighborhood.  But NYC? That...

I was debating with friends about whether GDP should be the North Star for a country. What is GDP and why it matters GDP measures the total exchange of goods and services in a country, capturing the scale of economic activity and trade. It’s an effective shorthand for material prosperity. Historically, countries with high GDPs tend to offer better living standards, infrastructure, and public services. When economies grow, people generally gain access to better healthcare, education, and opportunities. At a personal level, I align with Kanye’s philosophy: “Having money isn’t everything, but not having it is.” This captures the duality of wealth: it’s foundational for security and opportunity but insufficient as the ultimate life goal. Without it, basic survival becomes a struggle. But once those needs are met, the returns diminish, and other values, like social connections, health, or fulfillment, emerge. The Limits of GDP GDP has significant blind spots. It doesn’t measure inequality, ...

Whoever deciphers the universe's secrets wields tremendous influence over the future and those seeking answers and hope. For eons, religion and science have battled for this influence. Religion enjoyed a monopoly on truth and as the middleman to god and salvation until pesky science started asking too many questions and doing experiments. Persecuting and executing the rational buffoons could not hold back the compelling fruits of their methods - the medicines and steam engines worked a tad bit better than sacrifices and prayers, shaking faith in the messengers of god. Religion lost ground and now we pray at the altar of Saint Huberman.  Yet, the geeks have one Achilles heel, the unsolved and elusive question - why did the Big Bang? Naval said in a podcast, “Existence is a miracle, everything else is science.” Everything but one thing! The mystery of existence is religion’s final stronghold. Its persistently nagging nature makes it a powerful refuge, one that becomes increasingly re...

Roman politicians had a clever formula for controlling political unrest: panem et circenses—“bread and circuses.” By offering free food and entertainment, they kept the population distracted, too preoccupied to think or challenge the status quo. Sadly, this same tactic is alive today, but on a much grander scale. Both adults and children have fallen into a cycle of constant distraction, filling every spare moment with mindless phone scrolling or TV watching. We consume sloppy, superficial content and are stuck in an incessant stimulus-response loop that leaves no room for fertile boredom, mind wandering, deep exploration and work—the very conditions that lead to connection with self, original thought, deeper understanding and unique insights, inner peace, meaningful action, and exceptional outcomes. Even life’s essentials—sleep, exercise, hobbies, chores, and relationships—have been displaced by screens.  We have become half-present zombies, with foggy brains and attention spans re...

In 1954, Roger Bannister did what was long thought to be impossible—he ran a mile in under four minutes. It wasn’t just a personal triumph; it was a breakthrough for the entire running community. Incredibly, another runner broke the same barrier that same year, and before long, the once impossible feat became almost routine. It was as if Bannister had opened the floodgates, and suddenly everyone was rushing through. I felt something similar during my time on my university debate team. For years, we struggled to make it to the semifinals or finals of major competitions like the Asian or Australasian championships. We believed it was beyond our reach. Then, one year, our captain—a determined, confident, and ambitious leader—took the team to victory. Suddenly, NTU became a regular contender in the later stages of these tournaments. A barrier had been broken, and everything changed. More recently, I had a simpler, yet similar experience. I was trying to replace a laptop battery, but I coul...

Everything we enjoy today was born out of someone's aspiration. We have the comforts, safety, and convenience of a modern home because hundreds of generations aspired for a better home. We enjoy an abundance and variety of food, magical infrastructure, air travel, computers and internet, music and art, and so much more because some people aspired for a better life. Aspiration is the root of all progress, even if not all aspirations or manifestations are good for individuals or society. Of course, just aspiration is not sufficient. It takes an enormous amount of grit, vision, capability. cooperation, and leadership to turn those aspirations into reality. I love Stripe founder, John Collison's quote: "As you become an adult, you realize that things around you weren't just always there; people made them happen. But only recently have I started to internalize how much tenacity *everything* requires. That hotel, that park, that railway. The world is a museum of passion proj...

It was a beautiful tropical day and I was at the beach, happy to be away from the bustle of regular life. But as luck may have it, the spot we landed was right next to two ladies reading NY Times political articles to each other like they were poems of love. They smugly basked in the Times’ self-righteousness, eschewing the ignoramus followers of De Santis and Trump. “How can they not get the separation of church and state”, one of them commented incredulously. “Right right right”, the other affirmed, with little consideration that it was as much a belief as the Bible. They continued “right right right” ing each other as they preached familiar talking points with as little nuance and balance as an election pamphlet, each exchange lifting them higher on their horses and further from any middle ground. Radicalization isn’t a distant phenomenon in mass gatherings in the Middle East or middle America. There are little bubbles of polarizing echo chambers all around us.

Culture, simplistically, is a derivation of what we believe and how we think and act, which in turn are derivations of the information we are exposed to. In the past, information was limited by geography to a large extent. Local newspapers, leaders, and intellectuals. With the Internet, it is not. You can have different information exposures and consequently, different cultures, between neighbors. You can find polarization within a street, rather than just between states, countries, or continents.  This has interesting implications for governance, which is still geography-based. Governance, which is simplistically what strategy and policies should we collectively follow, largely derives from culture. If culture is no longer geographic, how can we govern geographically? While this is short-term problematic, I think it is long-term positive as it unlocks a degree of freedom for people - to align themselves with whichever belief and culture they prefer. We still exist in the physical ...

"The modern devil is cheap dopamine" - Naval Ravikant Throughout history, each generation has been ensnared by a distinct addiction. Alcohol, tobacco, and processed foods trace a familiar arc: celebrated innovations morph into pervasive vices. Initially hailed for their pleasurable effects, these substances soon trigger a race to enhance their potency and availability. This cycle of desire and overindulgence, fueled by profit-driven peddlers and consumers alike, inevitably collides with the limitations of human biology, leading to widespread harm before an eventual and slow course correction. The Dance of Pleasure and Pain

This talk by Bill Gurley, a popular venture capitalist, is a master class in both the subject of regulatory capture and presentation. It's so well-crafted and powerful - the story-telling, the flow, the energy and intonation, the slides, the creative title and close, the eye-opening lived experiences and insider insights, the authenticity, and the truth to power and corruption.  It drives home that America is the land of capitalists. If you are a large business, there's probably no better place in the world. Conversely, if you are in America, consider starting a business or owning equity to thrive. Capitalists are the kings here.  Compare it to Europe, where capital gains taxes are high, and employees and consumers have strong protections and social services. Or to India, where politicians, cricketers, and movie stars are the kings. Or to China, where the CCP is the only monarch.  Most companies need to do some objective good for their customers to rise and survive, so th...

The world always has a lot more skeptics than innovators. *** Skeptics question any change. While blindly accepting the status quo and all its flaws.  They are limited by their own fears, lack of vision, beliefs, and capabilities. They choose the easy path of nay-saying and changing nothing.  Innovators question the status quo.  They see a better way. They are eager to invent and try new things. They are bold, creative, capable, and action-oriented. They are choosing the hard path of solving problems and creating change. *** Every innovator is met with skeptics who try to douse their spirit. If you are trying to be an innovator, surround yourself with other innovators who energize you and help you figure out a way.  Notes:  1. Yes, there are thoughtful skeptics and clueless or evil innovators. 

 The secret to innovation... ...is to tackle a very specific problem. Obsessively, deeply, and excellently.  Given the vastness of human knowledge already, there probably isn't much low-hanging fruit of discovery in most areas (the circle isn't uniform as depicted, so it may be lower in some areas than others). So innovation needs depth.  Specific innovations and deep understandings of specific problems can possibly evolve into broad truths or innovations. But you are less likely to go deep and innovate if you are starting off broad.  Notes 1. There's a valid counterargument that broad knowledge across domains can help spark innovation through a general understanding of the world and by translating ideas from one domain to another. I have a center in the middle to represent a broad understanding. It's possible that 2 or 3 areas of focus might be better than 1, but I doubt 10 areas of focus (is that even focus?) is better than 1.  2. This was inspired by listenin...

We have been talking about the progress of GPT (or ChatGPT) across versions 1 through 4. We measure them by the number of parameters, test scores, capability, range, accuracy, modalities, plugins, etc. We celebrate and are excited about the progress of every version. There are so many memes now hyping up what GPT-5 would be.  It just struck me that humans, as individuals and as a collective system, are also a form of intelligence. And humans have also been upgrading versions. We are on Human2023 right now. Wouldn't it be fascinating to similarly explore and celebrate the progress of humans and speculate about the future? Thanks to a technology developed by Human2022/23, it is now possible to generate a sweeping narrative that transcends the boundaries of time and space with a single prompt. Read on to take a step back, traverse the epochs of human evolution, celebrate the milestones of our past, and gaze with wonderment at the horizon of possibilities that awaits us.  ***...

Those who control the pipes of information, control the world.  It's a notion I have heard and generally agreed with. Humans are powerful agents in the world. Humans use information to act and human minds can be easily programmed by information. For instance, the "Stop the Steal" movement in the 2020 US Presidential Election, where disinformation led to a significant number of people believing the election was rigged. Controlling information is, in essence, controlling people. But it wasn't until a recent personal experience that the true impact of this control hit me. I was excited to launch a new business and decided to run some ads on Meta/Facebook. Imagine my surprise when, less than an hour after submitting my ad, it was flagged for a policy violation. I suspect an automated risk check program had detected some inexplicable issue and also penalized me for being a new ad publisher with a new page. Although the violation seemed thematically relevant to my ad, it wa...

An age of unparalleled peace, joy, love, creativity, and discovery for all of humanity. Fueled by an abundance of wisdom, resources, science, technology, labor; and elimination of all suffering, friction, and bottlenecks.  Made possible by the invention of benevolent superintelligence. *** Picture this day in your life.   You wake up feeling like your best self - well-rested, lucid, energetic, and joyful. You are surrounded by people you want to be with, also in the same state of bliss.  What's on the agenda for today? Anything you want! You have no chores, commitments, or worries.  Surf on a tropical beach with friends and family, both alive and passed? Granted, you are there. Don't know how to surf? No problem. You are going to learn it from the best coach or use an assisted board.  Hungry? You are served delicious and nutritious dishes invented just for you.  Feeling unwell or tired? You get diagnosed and treated in no time.  Need some inspiration o...

I am outraged! Aren’t you? They are out there Saying lies   That defy us! Wait, wait   Who are they?   Who is us? Weren’t we all Just one? And these lies   What are they? Do they hold No truth, frustration Or hidden pain?     Listen I didn’t listen But I do know. Their team and tone   Say enough. We must retaliate Or we’ll lose!   Maybe we can   Pause and truce. Mingle together And learn more.    We may fare better   In some middle ground. You silly   This is war! Haven’t you heard? Choose your side   Or step aside. Only one will remain They or us!

After a four-year hiatus, I finally returned to India on a 5-week trip, spanning 3 southern states and more destinations than ever before. It was great to be back home and spend time with family. Sharing a few observations (both subjective and limited) - 1. Indian cities are vibrant and a feast for the senses. The streets are a symphony of vehicles, people, and shops. The malls are packed, even on a weekday afternoon, and the streets and restaurants are bustling even late at night. You'll find more life in one Indian city than in most American cities combined, except maybe New York and LA.  2. But the constant bombardment of rough and loud sensory inputs - noise, traffic, dust, pollution, smells, crowds, and chaos - can be overwhelming and tiring. Many tourist destinations, like the Abbi waterfall in Coorg and the palace in Mysore, were also too crowded to be savored. Even if you stay home, there seems to be an incessant stream of visitors (helpers and vendors). It made me more app...

It's the 4th of July! The day where we celebrate American independence with warm summer gatherings, BBQs, beer, and fireworks.  A foundational principle of USA is freedom. Often referred to by patriots, FREEDOM! Freedom is great - I certainly don't want to live in a society where my life choices, potential, and path are largely dictated and limited by other humans.  This freedom did not come easy and is still fragile . It needed an inspiring vision for a better future, courage to act on it, and cooperation to unite together. Without its continued defense, the natural order of concentrated power will grow and return.  This freedom was not and still is not uniformly distributed . Native Americans, millions of slaves, women, LGBTQ, or lower-income populations did not and still do not enjoy the same rights. Subjugation comes in many forms - legal, representation, access, cultural, opportunity, economic, etc.  This freedom is not absolute . Where it clearly and unfairly h...

The most fundamental question to understand, IMO, is the existential one...What the heck is all this?! Why and how are we here? What are we supposed to do? Elon Musk is an incredibly smart guy - he has a track record of making things happen - both in the physical world (batteries, cars, rockets) and within human society (leading businesses, making money, acquiring a following). He's also a clear, first principles thinker and shares a lot about how he thinks about the world. So I think he can play a part in helping us understand life and the world*. So what is Elon's answer to the foundational question? Elon has two answers - one explicit and another implicit.   Elon recalls that at the age of 11 or 12, he had an existential crisis because he didn't understand why or how we are here. He concluded that we may never know but we may be able to find out if we expand the scope and scale of civilization and consciousness , and that's what he wants to do.  I like Elon's fra...