S3 Ep. 5 Jason Crawford – Narrative decentralization and the future of progress

Jason Crawford is the founder of The Roots of Progress, where he writes and speaks about the history of technology and the philosophy of progress. He is also the creator of Progress Studies for Young Scholars, an online learning program for high schoolers, and a part-time adviser and technical consultant to Our World in Data, an Oxford-based nonprofit focused on global development research. Previously, Jason spent 18 years as a software engineer, engineering manager, and startup founder.

A full transcript of the episode can be found on our website: boundaryless.io/podcast/jason-crawford/

Key highlights from the conversation

We discussed:

• The impact of information technology on centralization and decentralization
• The emergence of a plurality of meanings of progress
• Removing excess capacity and its implications for supply chain disruptions
• The potential for cryptocurrencies to automate legal and financial actions
• Why the pace of progress is slowing down—and how to speed it up

To find out more about Jason's work:

• Website: rootsofprogress.org
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasonc
• Twitter: twitter.com/jasoncrawford

Other references and mentions:

• Naval Ravikant: twitter.com/naval

Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/

Thanks for the ad-hoc music to Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: boundaryless.io/podcast-music

Recorded on 23 November 2021.