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I agree with a lot of the author's points, but the "big problems" facing the American middle class that Kairos is aiming to solve just cannot be solved by tech

I agree with a lot of the author's points, but the "big problems" facing the American middle class that Kairos is aiming to solve just cannot be solved by tech alone. They are political, legal, and social problems. Student debt is largely a consequence of easy loans for low-return degrees and laws that prevent those loans from being released (pretty much ever), combined with a generation that pushed kids to go to the "best" school they could, regardless of cost. High housing cost is a problem of zoning laws, NIMBYism, and lethargic construction. Retirement income is a problem of an entire generation just not saving any money (financial irresponsibility) combined with jobs that don't pay pensions anymore and a strained national retirement system. Etc. SV isn't falling down on producing tech to solve problems, it's falling down on using its wealth and influence to actually change laws, opinions, and behaviors that would have a broad impact.

vasilipupkin 9y ago
this is just marketing for the fund. How does a new fund differentiate itself if the founders were to announce that they plan do the same old thing that every other fund does.
AnimalMuppet 9y ago
> Student debt is largely a consequence of easy loans for low-return degrees and laws that prevent those loans from being released (pretty much ever), combined with a generation that pushed kids to go to the "best" school they could, regardless of cost. Tech might be able to solve that by making the "best" school an online and low-cost one. > High housing cost is a problem of zoning laws, NIMBYism, and lethargic construction. Tech might be able to solve that one by increasing the availability of remote work.
- mdorazio 9y ago
  Fair points, but I would argue that both of those possibilities hinge on social/psychological issues. Companies typically hire from prestigious schools because there's an implicit faith in pedigree and the pre-selection criteria of admissions panels at traditional institutions. You would need to shift that view before anyone would consider an online degree of any kind the "best" qualifier for employees. Same with remote work - you need to shift the perception that butts-in-seats and long hours in an office are favorable things before the technology even has a chance of making a solid impact.

vasilipupkin 9y ago

this is just marketing for the fund. How does a new fund differentiate itself if the founders were to announce that they plan do the same old thing that every other fund does.

AnimalMuppet 9y ago

> Student debt is largely a consequence of easy loans for low-return degrees and laws that prevent those loans from being released (pretty much ever), combined with a generation that pushed kids to go to the "best" school they could, regardless of cost. Tech might be able to solve that by making the "best" school an online and low-cost one. > High housing cost is a problem of zoning laws, NIMBYism, and lethargic construction. Tech might be able to solve that one by increasing the availability of remote work.

mdorazio 9y ago
Fair points, but I would argue that both of those possibilities hinge on social/psychological issues. Companies typically hire from prestigious schools because there's an implicit faith in pedigree and the pre-selection criteria of admissions panels at traditional institutions. You would need to shift that view before anyone would consider an online degree of any kind the "best" qualifier for employees. Same with remote work - you need to shift the perception that butts-in-seats and long hours in an office are favorable things before the technology even has a chance of making a solid impact.