The Anthology of Balaji Quotes

“Distinguishing social consensus from truth is really important because they’re not the same.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“We need to evangelize technological progress with every word and action. To recognize that the purpose of technology is to transcend our limits and to motivate everything we do with this sense of purpose. To take the winnings from our web apps and put them toward Mars. To feel no hesitation to start small and no shame in dreaming big. To tell the world it is possible to cure the deaf, restore sight, and end death itself.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“In 2009, outdated regulations on taxis and hotels held back $100+ billion companies. Remember $100B only shows the value captured by Uber and Airbnb. The total value created is much higher, unseen, and incalculable. How much time has been saved in parking?”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“Often people don’t want to use a new tool or technology. They want to do things the way they always have because learning how to use that lever is new. They are uncertain and afraid. What happens if the lever breaks? What are the risks in using the lever? Why don’t we just lift it with our bodies like we’ve always done?”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“We have to start talking more about our values than our valuations. Money is only a tool. What really matters is building something you can’t buy. That’s how we actually improve metrics like life expectancy.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“Putting in a lot of labor doesn’t necessarily generate value. Putting in the right technology often does.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“In venture capital and content creation, originality is really, really valued. Whether you call it originality, being disobedient, or being contrarian—the combination of being analytical and not fully obedient has been important.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“Progress is abstraction.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“You have 168 hours per week, ~112 awake. Substitute capital for time, technology for both. Avoid travel. Cancel meetings. Focus on doing.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future

“You cannot automate something until you’ve done it manually many times. Control all of the factors and show technology cuts costs. Remember, for many legacy companies, information technology is only a cost center. They only adopted the code. You were born in it, molded by it. A full-stack entrant into a new vertical is formidably protean. You can morph your product just by hitting keys. Tesla’s over-the-air updates for its cars are a fantastic example.”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future