Marc Andreessen on his Techno-Optimist Manifesto

January 20, 2025

Marc published his 5,000-word essay in October 2023 titled “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto.” In this Hoover Institution interview from a few days ago, Peter Robinson reads a passage aloud from the essay and asks Marc to read another. The full interview is worth watching (and the essay is worth reading), but here are the two passages quoted in full:

“We are told that technology takes our jobs, reduces our wages, increases inequality and is ever on the verge of ruining everything. But our civilization was built on technology. Technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential. It is time, once again, to raise the technology flag.

“We believe in the romance of technology, of industry. The eros of the train, the car, the electric light, the skyscraper. And the microchip, the neural network, the rocket, the split atom. We believe in adventure. Undertaking the Hero’s Journey, rebelling against the status quo, mapping uncharted territory, conquering dragons, and bringing home the spoils for our community. We believe that we are, have been, and will always be the masters of technology, not mastered by technology. Victim mentality is a curse in every domain of life, including our relationship with technology — both unnecessary and self-defeating. We are not victims, we are conquerors. We believe America and her allies should be strong and not weak. Economic, cultural, and military strength flow from technological strength. A technologically strong America is a force for good in a dangerous world. We believe in greatness.”