ChinaTalk RAND CEO Jason Matheny Gives a Masterclass on Risk and Organizational Design
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Nov 9, 2023 Jason Matheny, CEO of RAND and former tech advisor to President Biden, shares insights on designing effective research organizations. He discusses the pivotal lessons from RAND's 1950s heyday and dives into existential risks tied to AI and biosecurity. Matheny articulates the vital interplay between creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative decision-making within government. He also explores China's bureaucratic dynamics and how art can enhance our understanding of complex societal issues, all while emphasizing the importance of kindness and mentorship in team dynamics.
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Practical Ideas from Research
- RAND's success partially stemmed from giving researchers latitude to explore diverse topics, even seemingly impractical ones like geometry.
- This freedom attracted talented individuals who then contributed to practical problem-solving.
Impact-Driven Research
- RAND attracted researchers who prioritized impactful work over purely academic pursuits.
- The organization's structure fosters intellectual curiosity and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Hamming's Challenge
- Richard Hamming, at Bell Labs, challenged colleagues to focus on the most important problems.
- He would ask, "Are you working on the most important problem? If not, why not?"