Best of Balaji

Table of Contents


Balaji Basics

YC Startup School 2013: Exit via YC in 2013 (16 minutes)

This is Balaji talking at YC's startup school in 2013. He claims that exit is a fundamental right. This is a common theme throughout the rest of his work, so this is a must listen.

Software Is Reorganizing the World via Wired in 2013 (5 minutes)

While it seems incredible that this was written in 2013, this post holds up well nearly a decade later. This post highlights early ideas of internet communities and how this leads to physical migration. These ideas are further discussed in thoughts on The Network State.

The Idea Maze (Market Research, Wireframing, and Design) in 2013 (30 minutes)

From Chris Dixon's post, "Good startup ideas are well developed, multi-year plans that contemplate many possible paths according to how the world changes." This post is a must read for anyone in the startup scene looking to found or grow a business.

The Network State via Startup Societies Foundations in 2017 (30 minutes)

Balaji calls this the follow up to his exit speech from 2013. Start your own company, start your own community, start your own currency, and finally start your own country. Balaji talks about the network state in his podcast tours of 2020 and 2021, so I think of this as more of a source document to better understand those later conversations.

Balaji Srinivasan: Pseudonymous Economy | Blockstack Summit 2019 via Stacks in 2019 (20 minutes)

In a similar format, this is the original talk Balaji gives on his idea of the pseudonymous economy. Much of these ideas are talked about in later podcasts and articles.


The Network State

How to Start a New Country via 1729 (9 minutes)

The Start Of Startup Cities via 1729 (10 minutes)

Founding vs Inheriting via 1729 (8 minutes)

The Network Union via 1729 (11 minutes)

These posts are the first chapters in Balaji's new book called The Network State. These posts dive deeper into the concepts outlined in the Startup Societies Foundations talk listed above.

The Network State via teleport in 2015 (40 minutes)

The original Network State talk from 2015. Balaji’s talk starts around 53 minutes.


Pseudonymous Economy

Balaji Srinivasan: The Pseudonymous Economy via Coin Center in 2021 (24 minutes)

An additional talk that clearly lays out basics of The Pseudonymous Economy


Balaji and Bitcoin

Bitcoin 101 via Khosla Ventures in 2015 (28 minutes)

Balaji has some prescient videos on Bitcoin that have stood the test of the time. I love this Bitcoin video from 2015 where he predicts companies will need a BTC strategy (Tesla has since put $1.5B on their books). This is more technical but a great bitcoin basics talk.

Why India Should Buy Bitcoin via 1729 (20 minutes)

While the post is focused on India, this is a comprehensive analysis on the benefits of any country buying Bitcoin and the promise of cryptocurrencies in general. (Bonus: How India Legalizes Crypto and Add Crypto to IndiaStack)


Wide Ranging Podcasts

Balaji Srinivasan on The Future of Bitcoin and Ethereum, How to Become Noncancelable, the Path to Personal Freedom and Wealth in a New World, the Changing Landscape of Warfare, and More (#506) via The Tim Ferris Show in 2021 (3 hours 43 minutes)

This is the best Balaji podcast. If you're going to spend time on any Balaji podcasts, you should listen to this one first.

Some major topics include media, 1729 and education, pseudonymity, Bitcoin and Ethereum, woke capital vs. communist capital vs. crypto capital, India, and much more.

Balaji Srinivasan Part 1 - Virtual Worlds, AI and Politics via What Bitcoin Did in 2019 (1 hour 25 minutes)

In a similar vein of visions for the future, this podcast is another really well done podcast. Peter also is a great interviewer and makes for a great podcast.

Balaji Srinivasan on Communist Capital vs. Woke Capital vs. Crypto Capital via The Breakdown with NLW (1 hour and 15 minutes)

This podcast goes more into the politics that Tim Ferriss covered.

Where does power come from? It used to come from the fear of God (Southern US), then it came from fear of the state (Northeastern US), the next will be from the fear of the network (Western US mentality)


More

Content Archive

Balaji lists out all of his content on his website.

1729.com

"Earn crypto for completing tasks and tutorials. Join a community of technological progressives."

Other Great Podcasts

Podcasts


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