You need to introduce an entirely new paradigm, which requires reaching much higher on the cumulative technology ladder than previous solutions. Because while the accumulation of tools is continuous, there are discrete periods in history when those tools have gotten better enough to make new solutions possible.

The more and better tools, the bigger and harder challenges builders can address with them.

People are smart. We’ve solved most of the challenges that are possible to solve given the tools currently at our disposal, give or take a little given the fact that we’re also good at getting in our own way. So we build new tools to tackle new challenges.

T

Take Base Power Company. What’s the Why Now for Base?

There are many, and that’s the point.

Growing renewable generation and electrification of demand has destabilized the grid. Batteries have gotten much cheaper. Engineers have gotten better at distributed systems software. Consumer software keeps getting better. Digital customer acquisition is

Defense, like all technology sectors, is ruled by the

Solar and batteries are getting much cheaper. The cost to sequence the human genome is falling precipitously. SpaceX is driving down the cost of launching things to space. Capacitors are on their own Moore’s Law-like trend. Blockspace has dropped from dollars to less than a penny per transaction. The price of intelligence got cut in half just last

Toolmakers operate at the very bleeding edge, coming up with brand new science and technology, with a primary focus on the science and technology themselves.

Defense, like all technology sectors, is ruled by the power law: a single, prime mover will claim the vast majority of profits even after the sector has reached maturity. The company that carves out a new investment category usually stays on top.