BOOK · [2281]

How Innovation Works

History

Ridley's case that innovation is gradual, collective, and bottom-up rather than the work of lone geniuses, and that it requires freedom to recombine. Balaji recommends it to founders as the antidote to the Great Man theory of progress.

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Endorsed By

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Balaji Srinivasan

balajianthology.com · Balajis Recommended Reading

Listed in Balaji's For Founders section of recommended reading; he points founders to Ridley for the bottom-up, recombinant view of innovation.
Brian Armstrong

twitter.com

“Really enjoyed reading this new book from Matt Ridley”

The page cites a tweet by Brian Armstrong recommending How Innovation Works.
Naval Ravikant

twitter.com

“Everything by Matt Ridley is worth reading.”

The page cites a Naval tweet recommending all of Matt Ridley's work.
Network School Reading List

Balaji's Network School Curriculum

Rebuilding reading on why innovation flourishes under freedom and incremental trial, not central direction.
Bill Gurley

tim.blog · Bill Gurley

Recommended on The Tim Ferriss Show (#651), January 2023, where Gurley praised both of Ridley's books as 'fantastic and spectacular'; also referenced on Twitter as an elegant follow-up to The Rational Optimist.