We will see more philosopher-kings win as it becomes easier for more people to build more things.

Those with differentiated approaches (e.g., first principled, obsessed young founders with outlier experiences) or differentiated knowledge sets (e.g., commercially minded PhDs) combined with differentiated visions (e.g., evangelists for a world that people actually want to live in) will outcompete peers. They will do a better job attracting employees, customers, capital, and public support. And in doing so, these philosophers will rule their domains – and maybe the world.

Here are a few reasons why.

Thoughtfulness will outcompete brute force. An age of noise will reward those with differentiated approaches or differentiated knowledge sets. As building things becomes ubiquitous, there will simply be more people "sweating" it out. So a mad dash of copy/pasting and following the hype will convert less into success. Those with clarity and finesse will win more because knowing what to build and why compounds as new tools amplify speed. Even marginally better decisions – closer approximations to the "truth" – will be transformational. And as software eats itself, building hardware and deeptech will continue to heat up. Here bespoke knowledge, skills and training still exist, and you "can't pivot your way to greatness." The builder must follow a novel playbook – the philosopher's playbook.

Missions will become critical, too. Those with differentiated visions are advantaged in recruiting differentiated people. "Why is XYZ the coolest company ever" is a hard sentiment to compete with. A few key people have always been responsible for moving massive companies. And as AI turns small talent differences into major ones, these key people will gain more leverage to contribute. An urgent mission therefore will generate meaningful growth.

It's no surprise that startups are hiring storytellers en masse. They know the power of outlier talent and that people are searching for something bigger than themselves in a time of destabilization. This is already happening as more Americans, including younger Americans, return to traditional places of worship. A destabilized generation will seek stability in places of power or transcendence or both. High-growth startups doing things of consequence check both boxes. We should be wary of those that employ shallow slogans, or conceal self-interest in societal-gain. Plato called these sophists. They are the anti-philosopher. Employees, customers, citizens, and investors must tell the difference.

More kings will also philosophize. Those creating tools of automation are positioned to offer serious leadership – for the better or worse – on eternal questions of the human experience. Some have tried. There remains an opportunity to fill.¹

Venture has long believed that different is better than better. The French philosopher Giles Deleuze defines philosophy as the act of creating concepts. In an age where AI has ingested all the existing concepts, the ability to create concepts – to philosophize – is what remains scarce and needed.

Will the real philosopher-kings please stand up?