Latest Interviews

How much does a vote matter? | Rob Wiblin

Rob Wiblin

This analysis argues that in competitive US presidential elections, the expected value of an informed vote can exceed $1.7 million due to the massive scale of federal spending and the statistical probability of single votes determining outcomes in swing states. By addressing epistemic risks where uninformed voters rely on heuristics, the text demonstrates that individuals with researched policy positions possess a significant advantage over the average voter, thereby validating the rationality of casting a ballot. Consequently, the author recommends that informed citizens prioritize voting in close contests or directing resources toward high-leverage campaigns rather than relying on passive political engagement.

How to find the right career for you | The 80,000 Hours career guide (2023 edition)

This presentation challenges the traditional view of career planning by arguing that professional abilities are constructed through practice rather than discovered, using historical data to demonstrate that early performance rarely predicts long-term success. It outlines a scientific method for career selection that replaces unreliable introspection with a hypothesis-driven approach, utilizing a tiered "ladder of tests" to empirically validate personal fit before committing to a path. By prioritizing reversible early experiments and high-upside opportunities, the framework guides individuals to maximize their impact and satisfaction through iterative learning rather than speculative prediction.

How to make your career plan | The 80,000 Hours career guide (2023 edition)

This framework outlines a dynamic career strategy that balances long-term vision with iterative planning to navigate the inherent instability of professional trajectories. It structures growth into three stages—Explore, Build Career Capital, and Deploy—while employing the ABZ plan and a seven-step implementation process to manage risk and clarify concrete next steps. Regular reviews every one to three years ensure that individuals can adapt their specific actions to evolving industry landscapes without becoming locked into rigid paths that hinder high-impact outcomes.

What makes for a dream job? | The 80,000 Hours career guide (2023 edition)

Research spanning three decades rejects the "follow your passion" myth, arguing instead that fulfilling careers are built by developing competence in work that helps others. The study identifies six critical ingredients for a dream job—engagement, meaningful impact, skill, supportive colleagues, minimal negatives, and work-life fit—while noting that financial rewards beyond $75,000 and the avoidance of stress yield diminishing returns on satisfaction. By adopting a "do what contributes" strategy and scoring career options against these empirically verified criteria, individuals can cultivate passion through mastery and altruism rather than relying on unreliable intuition.