Hi, I’m Ben.

I founded 80,000 Hours, a non-profit that provides free research and support to help people find careers that effectively tackle the world’s most pressing problems.

Today I write about life during transformative AI, doing good and other topics on Substack.

See my full bio.

You can also follow my writing on Twitter, and random personal things on instagram.

Writing 

Some of the writing I’m more proud of:

• The 80,000 Hours advanced series (formerly key ideas series)
• The 80,000 Hours career guide
• An introduction to effective altruism
• A list of the world’s most pressing problems
• The case for reducing extinction risks
• Podcast: what’s the core idea of effective altruism?
• Talent gaps vs. funding gaps
• Is it fair to say most social interventions don’t work? & All the studies we could find on how much solutions to social problems differ in effectiveness.
• How communities can coordinate to do more good
• Video: How to compare the world’s most pressing problems
• My updates on effective altruism after FTX
  

Some of my most popular writing & media:

• What makes for a dream job? What the evidence says.
• TEDx: To find work you love, don’t follow your passion
• What are the world’s biggest problems?
• All the evidence-based advice we could find on being more successful

See a list of everything I’ve written at 80,000 Hours.

Media requests

If you’d like to write about me or 80,000 Hours, email uliana@benjamintodd.org.

Here’s a short interview with me on BBC Radio 4, and here’s a longer interview with me by Sam Harris.

Also see: my bio on LinkedIn, two more interviews with me on SuperDataScience and Clearer Thinking, and past media coverage of 80,000 Hours (including TIME, the Telegraph & the Economist).

Some other interests

• Philosophy & physics: here’s a video by one of my favourite tutors at university (sad this was never made), and an interview we did with another.
• Investing: See some of my investing philosophy, favourite book.
• Travel: I traveled from Tokyo to Singapore overland before university, mostly by train. I’ve been to China 10 times, and I speak Chinese, badly.
• Secular Buddhism: I’ve been to meditation retreat at Gaia House annually since 2016, and have made it a bigger focus since 2022. Some of my biggest influences are: Shamil Chandaria, Rob Burbea, Michael Taft, and Loch Kelly.
• Personal developmenty stuff: Once a year I do an annual life review – some others have found the process useful, so here’s the 2020 version, and the simpler 2019 version. Right now I’m also practicing IFS and here’s an article I wrote about evidence-based personal development.
• Fitness: Besides the normal things (lately weightlifting), I practice qigong (though I’m not sure about qi), acroyoga, and once kick-boxed for Oxford.
• Food: Some favourite restaurants: Bocca di Lupo, St John, Kiln, Ozone, Bartavelle, Oli’s Thai, Kaizen, Mao Chow.
• Music: the future, juddery rhythms, arvo stabat, spacious jazz,

Consulting & speaking

I consult on non-profit startup strategy, and have advised the Global Priorities Institute at the University of Oxford, the Centre for Effective Altruism, and the Tianxia Academy. I was one of the first non-profit founders to go through Y Combinator. I do public speaking, and have given a TEDx talk.

Say hello

Contact me: ben at 80000hours.org

Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.