Innovation for the Social Good

Lots of progress for vulnerable groups is held back by a lack of innovation, often because innovators don't see the business case. To me, this is where economists with an inclination for both theory and data can come into play. They can focus on carefully designing innovation financing tools that address these market failures. I like this design-thinking work, at the intersection between research and policy, which is sometimes called market shaping. Using economists' tools to make the world a better place brings together everything I care about, and is something we should pursue much more actively.

• A non-technical introduction lecture on why we need innovation to fight poverty
• Rachel Glennerster on the 80,000 hours podcast: How “market shaping” could help solve pandemics, climate change, and more
• The University of Chicago Market-Shaping Accelerator designs innovation contests and explains the economics background of different market shaping tools
• How to start an advance market commitment: Practical account of setting up an AMC for carbon removal

Trying to Do Good More Effectively

We often strive to do good things, but neglect areas where our doing good could have a much greater impact. I am not a radical Effective Altruist, but I find some of their core considerations quite helpful in thinking about my donations: (1) we have little intuitive feeling for the variation in impact across charities; (2) it makes sense to “think on the margin” (i.e., like an economist) about impact – asking, where can my donation move the needle the most? I found the first two chapters of the Effective Altruism Handbook a good introduction to start thinking about this.

• Chapter 1 - The Effectiveness Mindset
• Chapter 2 - Differences in Impact

Increasing People’s Agency & Aspirations

One bottleneck for talent utilization that I've become increasingly aware of through my teaching and mentoring of students is a lack of confidence and perceived agency. I have decidedly become an optimist and try to enable others to think similarly – raising their aspirations and agency, showing them that one can often simply take action. I mostly like it because it is fun to support others in pursuing their passions, but it is also a very scalable meta-skill. Related readings include:

• Tyler Cowen on supporting talents – Encouragement is often more important than money
• Cate Hall on How to be More Agentic

Human-centered Architecture

Affordable housing is a big problem in the western world. We are still not building enough, and more importantly, we're often building badly. I believe good architecture and urban planning should put people and their needs at the center. They should not only aim for affordability, but also aesthetic quality and fostering joyful human interaction. Scandinavian functionalist design masters this skillfully, and I love its aesthetic – natural light, organic shapes, and the use of local materials, especially plain wood. There are plenty of examples showing that practicality and beauty don’t have to be in conflict, and they should inspire how we build today. Here are some recommendations:

• Examples of Scandinavian functionalist architecture: watch the Aalto movie, visit Aarhus University, or the the Radio House in Copenhagen
• Urban design that invites public life: Explore Superkilen in Nørrebro (Cph), and the Copenhagen harbour front
• Notable social housing projects: Tour the UNESCO-listed Social Housing Estates in Berlin from the Neues Bauen era. I particularly like the colorful Bruno Taut buildings.

Living Well in a Tech-Filled World

I like to be intentional about how I spend my time, and mix lots of old-school offline activities with my otherwise very tech-filled work day. For example, I like to write by hand (paper or ipad); it helps clarify my thinking, and I strongly believe it strengthens the connection between writing and memory. Outside of work, I enjoy going to concerts, visiting museums, biking, and traveling by train, watching handball, and getting yelled at by teenagers in my volunteering work.