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Bits and bricks: Oliver Habryka on LessWrong, LightHaven, and community infrastructure
Episode 63
Patrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined by Oliver Habryka, who runs Lightcone Infrastructure—the organization behind both the LessWrong forum and the Lighthaven conference venue in Berkeley. They explore how LessWrong became one of the most intellectually consequential forums on the internet, the surprising challenges of running a hotel with fractal geometry, and why Berkeley's building regulations include an explicit permission to plug in a lamp. The conversation ranges from fire codes that inadvertently shape traffic deaths, to nonprofit fundraising strategies borrowed from church capital campaigns, to why coordination is scarcer than money in philanthropy.
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Full transcript available here: www.complexsystemspodcast.com/bits-and-bricks-oliver-habryka/
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Sponsor: Mercury
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Links:
- Lightcone Infrastructure: https://www.lightconeinfrastructure.com/
- Lighthaven: https://www.lighthaven.space/
- LessWrong: https://www.lesswrong.com/
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:08) The origins and evolution of LessWrong
(03:54) Challenges of running an online forum
(05:57) Reviving LessWrong
(14:51) The unique structure of Lighthaven
(17:35) The complexities of conference venues
(19:14) Sponsor: Mercury
(20:14) The realities of conference planning
(25:32) Challenges of maintaining Lighthaven
(29:54) Navigating permits and regulations
(37:02) Impact of fire code regulations on traffic fatalities
(39:06) Economic analysis of safety regulations
(41:39) Housing policy and construction in Berkeley
(43:30) Fundraising challenges in the nonprofit sector
(46:44) Effective altruism and fundraising dynamics
(54:20) Lessons from religious fundraising practices
(01:05:36) Reflections on fundraising
(01:13:26) Wrap
Published on 14 hours ago