Why should we build?

Marc Andreessen says we were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic because: “We chose not to build.”

The problem isn’t money, or capitalism, or technical competence:

The problem is desire. We need to want these things. The problem is inertia. We need to want these things more than we want to prevent these things. The problem is regulatory capture. We need to want new companies to build these things, even if incumbents don’t like it, even if only to force the incumbents to build these things. And the problem is will. We need to build these things.

Jason Crawford adds that we need to learn to appreciate progress — both what we’ve already done, and why we can’t stop now. And personally I agree with him - I think progress-oriented jobs are more meaningful and important than finance / show business / corporate world / etc. But now there is no impression among youngsters at jobs such as scientist, public intellectual, social entrepreneur. Such great leaders like Elon Musk try to change it. But it's not enough. What can we do about that? As always, trying to use approach from economics:

• increase a demand on these jobs
• increase a supply of these jobs / occupations

For increasing demand I think we can:

1. make scientists heroes, more sexy and glorious like Breakthrough Prize does
2. make science more bright for public like New World's Fair does
3. make progress studies cultural movement like Roots Of Progress does

For increasing supply I think we can:

1. reform schools (make more scientific events for schoolers, strengthen the concentration of talent in school teachers, etc.)
2. make funding of science more free and open to everybody like New Science does‍
3. make more programs to support talented folks to pursue their vision like me do)

It's the only beginning of the list but I think Progress Studies should shed more light on this topic to work out like framework which navigate our acts to desirable and specific outcome (more meaningful progress in the world). So, it's time to build!

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