Hidden Operators
If I’m successful, then it should feel as if the universe is giving you a gentle nudge in the direction that you've always wanted to pursue. You should feel like you’re capable of anything. But importantly, in the off chance you realise that part of the reason enabling you to flourish is because of the support of many (i.e. the 'universe'), that because the support is invisible, that you therefore never have to look back and feel the need to be indebted to anyone. Like the invisible hand of capitalism¹, I want to, together with the help of others, be the collective invisible hand of the universe.
We can achieve this by designing the outputs of one’s life’s work to be so ubiquitous that people forget the origin and the value it provides². It becomes indistinguishable from everyday experience. We are the beneficiary of this kind of work: tunnels bored underneath cities to move millions of people, legal frameworks that prevent harm where markets fail to self-correct, and the invention of language to communicate ideas across time and space. These are layers of infrastructure that quietly enable us to pursue our dreams. To me, the individuals who build and maintain these layers - whose contributions outlive attribution - are hidden operators: imperceptible to society yet provide enormous value so you'll never get the chance to directly thank them.
Even though I aspire to operate in this manner, I don’t intend to do so - at least not yet. After all, the very existence of this public profile is the antithesis of a hidden operator. But I need to prove to the world that I have the credentials (actual outputs, not degrees) to be entrusted with greater resources. My ambitions for our future cannot scale with my limited resources. I also can’t achieve these ambitions alone. That’s why this website also serves as a search function to find and work together with like-minded individuals. Ultimately, when my identity is no longer required, all the success that I have accrued against my name I want it to fade out into irrelevance (to be simply a part of the universe). Only then will I have become a hidden operator.
¹The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith
²'To be forgotten', Kanye West
Melbourne, 29 December 2025
Hidden Operators
If I’m successful, then it should feel as if the universe is giving you a gentle nudge in the direction that you've always wanted to pursue. You should feel like you’re capable of anything. But importantly, in the off chance you realise that part of the reason enabling you to flourish is because of the support of many (i.e. the 'universe'), that because the support is invisible, that you therefore never have to look back and feel the need to be indebted to anyone. Like the invisible hand of capitalism¹, I want to, together with the help of others, be the collective invisible hand of the universe.
We can achieve this by designing the outputs of one’s life’s work to be so ubiquitous that people forget the origin and the value it provides². It becomes indistinguishable from everyday experience. We are the beneficiary of this kind of work: tunnels bored underneath cities to move millions of people, legal frameworks that prevent harm where markets fail to self-correct, and the invention of language to communicate ideas across time and space. These are layers of infrastructure that quietly enable us to pursue our dreams. To me, the individuals who build and maintain these layers - whose contributions outlive attribution - are hidden operators: imperceptible to society yet provide enormous value so you'll never get the chance to directly thank them.
Even though I aspire to operate in this manner, I don’t intend to do so - at least not yet. After all, the very existence of this public profile is the antithesis of a hidden operator. But I need to prove to the world that I have the credentials (actual outputs, not degrees) to be entrusted with greater resources. My ambitions for our future cannot scale with my limited resources. I also can’t achieve these ambitions alone. That’s why this website also serves as a search function to find and work together with like-minded individuals. Ultimately, when my identity is no longer required, all the success that I have accrued against my name I want it to fade out into irrelevance (to be simply a part of the universe). Only then will I have become a hidden operator.
¹The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith
²'To be forgotten', Kanye West
Melbourne, 29 December 2025