Book · 2022
The Network State
- mentions
- 22
- people
- 5
- podcasts
- 3
- episodes
- 5
- critical mentions
- 0
There's this whole concept of a network state that Balaji has come up with, a really interesting book sort of about how, you know, social networks, online communities are going to crowdsource, particularly with crypto, because, you know, that is a fully independent outside economic structure.
What they say about it
- Discusses specific examples“bring up one quick example from your book”2
- Outlines core concepts“a highly aligned online community with a capacity for collective action”2
The best things said about it
In 2022 his book The Network State described a plan for tech oligarchs to make their own countries escaping democracy.
As you dive into these gray zones, and actually just to bring up one quick example from your book, is even just naming countries that many people didn't realize have emerged in the last couple decades.
So um so I actually I start off the book with this which is like you know because people skim nowadays and so never see it in one informal sentence is a highly aligned online community with a capacity for Collective action.
What would that look like? Again, just to go into the FDA example, because the reason I go into this in great detail is this is one of the most motivating things as to why we need new states.
This is a key Insight like I talked about this in the book that the big thing about the nation states see you know they're city-states nation states and network States.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
18
2
1
1
How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
5 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
The Network State by Balaji Srinivasan presents a blueprint for how online communities and social networks can leverage cryptocurrency to build independent economic structures and ultimately establish new sovereign entities that bypass traditional democratic states and medical regulations. Tim Pool mentioned the book on Timcast IRL, describing its concept of crowdsourcing parallel economies through crypto. Shane Lee and Robert Evans discussed it on Behind the Bastards, noting how it outlines a plan for tech oligarchs to establish their own countries and escape governmental oversight. Balaji Srinivasan himself appeared on the a16z Podcast multiple times to discuss the book with Erik Torenberg, referencing historical migrations, the complexities of defining a nation-state, and analogies comparing the state and nation to labor and management. Erik Torenberg also drew on the book to highlight historical examples of countries that emerged within recent decades. Across these discussions, speakers and the author alike analyzed the book as both an ideological manifesto for decentralized community building and a controversial roadmap for geopolitical disruption.
Every mention
Tim Pool there's this whole concept of a network state that Balaji has come up with a really interesting book sort o… 1
Recommended
“there's this whole concept of a network state that Balaji has come up with a really interesting book sort of about how you know social networks online communities are going to crowdsource particularly with crypto because you know that is a fully independent outside economic structure”
Balaji Srinivasan I talked about this in the book actually that like if you go and look at the bontu expansion or the Mongols… 17
Discussed
“I talked about this in the book actually that like if you go and look at the bontu expansion or the Mongols sweeping across the world there's there's essentially no ethnic group that has ever had some location since time immemorial”
Discussed
“I actually have this at the beginning of chapter five in the book and the thing is we hear the term nation state as a compound”
Discussed
“one analogy I have in the book which I think is a funny way of thinking it's like uh labor and management and in a small company they are actually literally the same”
Discussed
“well so here's the thing is basically um one of the things I I touched on there and I talked about more in the book is fusions of leviathans”
Discussed
“so um so I actually I start off the book with this which is like you know because people skim nowadays and so never see it in one informal sentence is a highly aligned online community with a capacity for Collective action”
Discussed
“and this is actually this is an important Concept in the book one of the things I developed and this will be more more in the V2 I've got a lot of graphics and stuff quantitative definitions of terms”
Discussed
“one point I make in the book is look obviously I love digital space and so and so forth this is something by the way which I found the V3 is hard to communicate”
Discussed
“so in the book uh you know in V2 the way I'm defining it is Network Society Network union network archipelago Network State okay Network Society or Star Society”
Discussed
“what's an example of a useful Network Union that's that can do digital Collective action an example I give in the book is of uh like a professional Guild okay so it's a guild of designers”
Discussed
“they don't live together right away but they do meetups and other kinds of things I mentioned this in the book they start doing meetups build trust and you might like three of the people there”
Discussed
“and I think the way to do it is you start with this online community you start with a network Union you develop lots of movies it's basically a Content unit okay you develop movies you develop books”
Discussed
“and what would that look like again just to go into the FDA example because the reason I go into this in great detail is this is one of the most motivating things as to why we need new States”
Discussed
“and sometimes they're literal errors in the Senate and I talk about this in the book in the founding versus inheriting chapter I just pasted in here but sometimes they're little literal errors”
Discussed
“so the one commanded concept is I think it's a it's a it's a useful thing in the book it's actually one of the more important things in the book and the concept is when you talk about morality”
Discussed
“and basically like startups sharp socies are like start companies in this way where uh sharp companies as I mentioned in the book it's like you think about Twitter or SpaceX”
Discussed
“and that's not to say that you come back in the same place one of the points I make in the book is the helical theory of History where from one axis it looks like progress from another acts no projection”
Discussed
“this is a key Insight like I talked about this in the book that the big thing about the nation states see you know they're city-states nation states and network States”
Erik Torenberg I also read your book recently which is what we're going to be talking about today this idea of the network… 2
Discussed
“I also read your book recently which is what we're going to be talking about today this idea of the network State”
Discussed
“but as you dive into these gray zones and actually just to bring up one quick uh example from from your book is even just naming countries that many people didn't realize have emerged in the last couple decades”
Robert Evans in 2022 his book the network State described a plan for Tech oligarchs to make their own countries escaping… 1
Discussed
“in 2022 his book the network State described a plan for Tech oligarchs to make their own countries escaping democracy”
Shane Lee The network state book by Balaji Srinivasan, who's a Andreessen Horowitz like guy for life, like he's Andre… 1
Discussed
“The network state book by Balaji Srinivasan, who's a Andreessen Horowitz like guy for life, like he's Andreessen Horowitz, one of the main motivations for the network state is getting to a place where you can't have any medical regulations.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (10: passing, ad reads, own books)
Plugged
“this is basically from my book the network state I think it's a useful frame which is”
Plugged
“And I actually did shed a single manly tear. Okay. When writing the network state book. Yeah. Because I had some of the same emotions on that you're talking about.”
Plugged
“and today we brought him in to discuss his best-selling book the network state”
Plugged
“in fact there's this really here's a here's something this is going in V2 of the book this is a new content okay ready for new content take a look at this pretty cool uh video”
Plugged
“if people are interested they can go to what the networkstate.com and um also tutor.com so it's free online and you can also get it on Kindle”
Plugged
“the following is a conversation with bology s Nason an angel investor Tech founder philosopher and author of the network State how to start a new country”
Plugged
“I mentioned this actually in in the network State book”
Plugged
“so I've got you know this book the network State um which which covers some of these topics”
Plugged
“so part of takes from Singapore is the concept of a CEO founder of a country right where it takes from America is you know almost too many to enumerate but the concept of like our Constitution and of like an immigrant like people you know like a like a nation of immigrants but a nation of immigrants”
Plugged
“and I won't be able to recapitulate the whole thing but go to the networkstate.com and if you're interested in what the alternative is to American Anarchy and Chinese control it might be startup societies and network States”