#16 - Taavi Roivas - Why Technology & Political Economy Are Inseparable: Conversation with the Former Prime Minister of Estonia

Jul 8, 2023

In this discussion, Taavi Roivas, the Former Prime Minister of Estonia and tech entrepreneur, shares insights on the intersection of technology and politics. He explores how to run governments like startups and the implications of AI and cryptocurrencies on democracy. Roivas also discusses Estonia's pioneering role in e-governance, the challenges of tech on societies, and encourages youth to shape a transformative future. His take on balancing innovation with stability provides a thought-provoking perspective on global trends.

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INSIGHT

Vision Drives Politics and Startups

Vision and storytelling are critical in both politics and early-stage tech companies to inspire followers.
Without a compelling vision, gaining support from people is nearly impossible in either field.

ANECDOTE

Early Tech & Political Startup

Taavi Roivas started engaging with tech and politics early, working for Estonia's Ministry of Justice at 19.
He contributed to pioneering internet voting and Estonian e-government initiatives from the early 2000s.

ANECDOTE

Autonomous Shuttles in Public Transit

Avetek develops autonomous shuttles to solve last-mile public transport challenges, with vehicles already operating in Japan and Europe.
Their goal is to reduce reliance on personal cars and improve public transport accessibility.

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We're joined at Empasco by the former Prime Minister of Estonia Taavi Roivas, who ran and built both sets of organizations: leading the highest political office of one of the most technologically advanced EU governments and now also being a technology entrepreneur to a hard tech startup doing mobilities.

In the episode, we cover:

- the confluence of technology and politics in shaping the future
- can you run governments like tech startups? Similarities and differences.
- education & what young people should study
- the challenges that tech brings to democracies
- AI, crypto, de-dollarisation and hot takes on the recent mega-trends with how governments should respond.

Follow our host Waheed Rahman (@iwaheedo), for more updates on tech, civilizational growth, progress studies, and emerging markets.

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players, you should be able to click the timestamp for the episode.

(00:00) - Intro

(02:37) - Taavi's academic and political backstory

(08:34) - How did Taavi successfully balance youth political engagement and academic pursuits, particularly in technology and science, while maintaining a harmonious environment towards a shared vision?

(11:16) - What are the key similarities and differences in running a political organization compared to a technology or private organization?

(14:14) - How is Auve Tech transforming the public transport sector?

(19:46) - How can we encourage more individuals interested in societal development to engage in politics with a genuine understanding of technology?

(25:30) - Should the use of disruptive contemporary tech like AI be heavily regulated?

(30:58) - How can governments achieve self-disruption, akin to companies like Amazon, while simultaneously maintaining stability for society? How to navigate the trade-off between
embracing change and ensuring stability

(38:54) - Thoughts on the notion of the United States being in decline and the emergence of a more multipolar world? How would such shifts impact smaller countries and the
field of technology?

(41:14) - What should the government's approach be for the use of cryptocurrencies?

(44:18) - What is the government's stance on the potentially destabilizing effects of technology, particularly social media and digitization, on democracy, considering concerns about the
influence of platforms like Facebook and Twitter in shaping election outcomes?

(50:16) - Quick Fire Round

(53:40) - Outro