We believe in the romance of technology, of industry. The eros of the train, the car, the electric light, the skyscraper. And the microchip, the neural network, the rocket, the split atom.

We believe in adventure. Undertaking the Hero’s Journey, rebelling against the status quo, mapping uncharted territory, conquering dragons, and bringing home the spoils for community.

To paraphrase a manifesto of a different time and place: “Beauty exists in struggle. There is no masterpiece that has not an aggressive character. Technology must be a violent assault on the forces of the unknown, to force them to bow before man.”

We believe that we are, have been, and will always be the masters of technology, not mastered by technology. Victim mentality is a curse in every domain of life, including in our relationship with technology – both unnecessary and self-defeating. We are not victims, we are conquerors.

– Marc Andreessen

Important.

*post post thoughts:

When this post dropped it had the feel of a surprise album release. With all of the podcasts, reviews, criticisms, and raves. Will more online writing have this feel upon publication?

Anytime I see a title with “Manifesto” included it sparks intrigue. Where have all the manifestos gone? The internet seems like the ideal medium for them. Will this one inspire an uptick manifesto publishing?

More optimism is needed. You can argue the merits of Marc Anderson’s piece, but the world could use more optimistic writing that inspires action.

Andreessen, Marc. The Techno-Optimist Manifesto. Marc Andreessen Substack. October 16, 2023.