Why Greatness Can’t Be Planned - an alternative approach for entrepreneurs and AI researchers.

n artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, a transformative concept is “open-endedness”. A recent chat with Kenneth Standley, a distinguished AI researcher and co-author of the insightful book "Why Greatness Can’t Be Planned," combined with reflections on my entrepreneurial journey, has deepened my fascination of this concept. At its core, open-endedness embodies exploration without a predefined destination, a crucial trait for both entrepreneurial endeavors and the pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

Open-Ended Systems: A New AI Paradigm

Standley's pioneering work in AI showcases how open-ended systems can depart from traditional, goal-oriented machine learning. Thriving in uncertainty, these systems explore a myriad of possibilities, creating new pathways and evolving without a fixed end goal. This paradigm shift challenges conventional AI development, suggesting that the path to AGI is more about intellectual wanderlust than task completion. His philosophical point is that we should not try to plan for greatness, but instead create the conditions that allow it to happen. He believes that this is the best way to achieve truly groundbreaking innovation. While his work is centered around AI, I am convinced that the same principles hold true for entrepreneurship.

The Power of Serendipity

In the 'Picbreeder' experiment, Standley observed that many significant discoveries occurred unexpectedly. This element of serendipity mirrors the entrepreneurial journey, where the most transformative ideas often arise not from the narrow pursuit of a goal but from a readiness to embrace the unforeseen. This insight is mirrored in the stories of numerous successful startups, where a founder’s intuitive exploration of ‘interestingness’ led to groundbreaking innovations.

‘Interestingness’ Over Predefined Goals

The pursuit of ‘interestingness,’ a subjective yet pivotal concept, can drive open-ended discoveries more effectively than rigid goals. This approach, akin to following the most exciting path rather than a map, has the potential to yield more creative and unique business models. Entrepreneurs who have used interestingness as their north star can find themselves at the helm of remarkable ventures, suggesting that sometimes, the best strategy is to let curiosity lead the way - rather than just following “best practices”. Steve Jobs’ relentless pursuit of “really interesting things” rather than financial goals led to era-defining Apple products. Likewise, Stanley created the seminal Picbreeder project simply because it seemed “really, really interesting” – though its implications were unknown, it later resulted (in part) in leading Uber to buy his research company and make it Uber AI Labs. In my entrepreneurial world, successful companies created around Prehype likewise pursued “Making cool stuff with good people” rather than chasing unicorns. The quest for AGI mirrors the chase for successful startups: navigating through uncharted territories. Both fields benefit from an explorative mindset, valuing the journey and its learnings as much as the destination. Like Stanley, I believe being too focused on setting objectives can block creativity and innovation. The focus should be on creating stepping stones, and intensively seeking interestingness to find new discoveries.

Embracing Open-Endedness

Open-endedness in AI and entrepreneurship is more than just a concept—it's a mindset. It encourages stepping beyond conventional boundaries, embracing uncertainty, and finding joy in discovery. However, this mindset is not widely celebrated in entrepreneurship. For aspiring AGI researchers and entrepreneurs, it offers a paradigm shift away from being goal-orientated.

This mindset, driven by an unquenchable thirst for novelty and understanding, can lead to groundbreaking advancements in AI and innovative entrepreneurial ventures. It's a call to action for thinkers and doers to venture into the unknown, where true greatness often lies.

It seems counterintuitive not to ask, "What is your goal?". Maybe a better question is, "Why do you think this is interesting?"