Idea Machines

The article argues that tech subcultures such as effective altruism operate as "Idea Machines," networks of thinkers, operators and funders built around an ideology and designed to turn ideas into outcomes. It describes effective altruism as the strongest example, built from an ideology, a community incubated at Oxford and LessWrong, an agenda, and major funding from Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna via Good Ventures. The author argues that philanthropy should be pluralistic rather than led by a single approach, and says that newer examples such as Schmidt Futures, progress studies and It's Time to Build are emerging machines at different stages of development.