kpcb-app.md

What impact do you want to have on the world and why? (500 words maximum)

I'd like my impact on the world to be socially meaningful while simultaneously leveraging technology. There are a lot of social issues to which technology isn't the immediate solution: a mobile app isn't going to cure racism or poverty. Inversely, there's a lot of technology that isn't aimed at solving anything of social importance (a lot of which I'm an avid consumer of). There does exist a sweet spot where technology and social good do intersect (even if unintentional). I'm thinking of Periscope bringing instant awareness to police brutality. I'm thinking of Uber ensuring that getting a ride somewhere isn't harder based on the color of your skin. I'm thinking of computers/smartphones/etc decreasing paper wastage by orders of magnitude. It's a difficult goal, especially when aiming for the social impact to be a natural byproduct rather than a contrived attempt at charity; being a "byproduct" eliminates any procedural approach to achieving it. At the same time, I believe that a developing understanding of human nature is what makes it happen; if everything I work on is predicated on that understanding, it'll have a shot at significant reach, and perhaps eventually something I build might change the way we do things as a society for the better. As for why I'd like my impact to be of this nature: it's pretty easy to lose sight of the impact and value of working in technology, especially after your 5th landing page. Having a broader goal that is as fulfilling as social good is my way of ensuring personal growth and avoiding burnout.