I am a physicist by training and currently learning about technical frontiers, especially AI. I live in San Francisco and grew up in Germany. I was previously an investor at Founders Fund. I actively angel invest in technical founders working at the frontier.
At a young age, I studied theoretical physics where I researched galaxy simulations and star formation. After two years, I came to the conclusion that theoretical physics stagnated and left the field. I still think about ways to fix foundational science and try reading as many physics papers as I can (email me your favourites).
When I was 17, I first came to Silicon Valley through an AI Fellowship. It became clear to me that technology companies are the main path to work on frontier problems; most institutions that previously enabled great technical talent to work on frontier problems need to be rebuilt. Today, I like to build and invest in companies that either have a serious chance of pushing technical frontiers or help fix the social coordination problems of our time.
I like to write essays and read obscure books. Philosophers I return to include the early rationalists, especially Francis Bacon and Immanuel Kant, as well as Leo Strauss. Novelists I like include Dostoevsky, Jane Austen, Thomas Mann, Marcel Proust, and Goethe.
If you’re thinking about similar questions, I would love to hear from you. The best way to get in touch with me is via email or Twitter. I answer all emails.