In this episode, we’ll explore the concept of The Network State with Balaji Srinivasan. As the world becomes more digital, it also becomes more distributed. This is obvious on the individual level – how you order goods, the way you chat with friends, and the news you consume… all from a handheld computer. It’s also becoming more obvious at the company level. The pandemic shook the world into remote work and many companies have decided that maybe work can be done in ways they never imagined. But what about the state – whatever that means? Could the network rival the state? In this episode we’ll explore what a nation state even is and how it may be challenged by a new Leviathan: the network. We also cover the difference between a nation and a state, how constants become variables, the cloud continent, digital power, your identity stack, calibrating risk, polycentric law, cloud regulations, building fast with atoms, founding vs inheriting, the powerful vs the powerless, and just about everything in between. Topics Covered: 0:00 - Introduction 2:40 - Nation vs state 15:13 - Constants becoming variables 16:49 - The cloud continent 20:52 - The three leviathans 31:11 - Digital power 38:50 - The identity stack 55:28 - Cloud first, land last 58:08 - Diplomatic recognition 1:04:30 - Root access to land 1:09:35 - Calibrating risk as society 1:19:40 - Regulatory harmonization 1:32:03 - Polycentric law 1:38:54 - Building fast with atoms 1:43:07 - Looking to history 1:46:18 - Founding vs inheriting 1:55:31 - The one commandment 2:23:16 - The powerful vs powerless 2:34:58 - The competition for people 2:40:10 - Historical lines 2:49:13 - v3 of governance Resources: * Balaji’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/balajis * Balaji’s website: https://balajis.com/ * The Network State: https://thenetworkstate.com/ Stay Updated: * Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z * Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z * Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ * Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.