What Do Humans Do Now?

Last Thursday, I got ‘founder-pilled’ on Roosevelt Island.

300 people. One tram. Pouring rain. A PopUp Bagels situation that somehow didn’t cause a stampede.

We spent the day wrestling with one question: what do humans do now? With our attention, our capital, our kids, our companies, in a moment when the tools are changing faster than our judgment about how to use them.

We discussed. We disagreed. And we got some hard-won wisdom from founders who’ve lived through the ups and downs. Noah Glass spoke about the difference between sympathy and empathy and the overwhelming feeling of founder empathy.

Jack Groetzinger from SeatGeek: “Find yourself a David Frankel and worry less about the valuation.”

Siggi Hilmarsson from Siggi’s: “Worry less about ‘focus group PMF’ and more about 10 customers who would die for your product.”

All saying the same thing: conviction over consensus. Believe before you have proof or hype. And above all, surround yourself with people who believe in you. Because the journey is hard, and the right people make it survivable.

It’s a reminder that AI is trained on old data. Founders are trained on what hasn’t happened yet. They make new possibilities real through unreasonable conviction based on insufficient evidence.

New York has nearly 10,000 startups being built right now. More venture capital than almost anywhere outside Silicon Valley. Founders from 100 countries in the same five boroughs.

Collective Future is becoming the gathering in New York for people who want to question their beliefs, burst their bubbles, and build something worth building.

See you at the next one. 🗽