Philip Deng
The future is not for profit. The future is for us.
What I believe
Dignity is inherent. It is not earned by labor but by existence itself.
The Future Is Not For ProfitPurpose outranks productivity.
The Future Is Not For ProfitThe purpose of an economy is not to create profit, it is to orchestrate human collaboration in ways that allow for more and greater expressions of human value.
Artisanal EverythingI see a positive post-AI future as one in which everything, everywhere becomes artisanal.
Artisanal EverythingWe have to see the future we want, and then build it.
Artisanal Everything
Writing
- The OrganismWhat the Iran war reveals about the system we can no longer control
- The Roads, Not the EngineWhy AI policy that ignores the economic system is missing the point
- Artisanal EverythingA nonprofit economy for the age of AI
- Mistrust Is a GoldmineThe economic logic destroying our public square
- The Future Is Not For ProfitA manifesto for the age of AI
The book
A standalone collection of essays, in progress.
- Things Going RightWhat the worst AI scenario actually looks like
- GodisgoodCapitalism has an alignment problem, and AI is about to break it
- A Little Grape JuiceSeeing AI for what it is, without losing the wonder
About
I care most about my family and my dogs. Beyond that, I'm trying to choose a meaningful path and live well: to know myself, to stay mindful, and to pursue wisdom, kindness and grace.
I build things with my hands. I play guitar and sing, I cook, and I love tools, craft, food, nature and the tropics.
I dream of a homestead, and a life with friends and family beyond the relentless need to pursue money. I want to help the world and its people find that kind of life too, and most of what I write is about how we might get there.
For a living, I've worked in nonprofits since 2008, and in 2020 I co-founded Grantable, where I'm CEO. That work shapes a lot of what I write.