I like to point out problems. To the chagrin of my wife and co-founder, Parnian, the problems I identify often relate to things we can do better – around the house, with our kids, with our work. The problems I point out also relate to how we, as a human society, can do better. We all know that not all problems are worth solving, and many might be impossible to “solve”. We live in a world where countless issues compete for our attention, resources, and energy. The challenge isn't finding problems to work on; it's identifying which barriers, when removed, would create the most meaningful progress for humanity. So, when Parnian invited me to help create an Institute that scientifically identifies barriers to progress, I was like 'of course!'.

At Bottlenecks.org we're taking a focused approach to world improvement by creating frameworks and data networks that help to identify and prioritize the most critical roadblocks to human flourishing. Think of it as applied systems thinking—mapping out where the real chokepoints are in our path toward a better world.

The key is being both principled and measurable in how we approach this. We focus on learning about and reporting challenges that can be addressed to create real change, not just hyped up headlines. We're developing methods to carefully evaluate barriers and how, if they were removed, they could create branching, spreading positive effects.

Experts in their own fields are often keen to share the problems they see. Working with opinions, publications, reports, and measurements, we can address questions like "What visible or hidden bottlenecks hold back progress?" "How do we know the bottlenecks have been addressed?" "What would it take to 'solve' the bottleneck?"

By taking a comprehensive approach to problem identification, investigation, and prioritization, we can ensure that limited resources—whether time, money, or human talent—get directed toward the solutions that matter most. Because pointing out problems is easy. Solving the right ones, that is hard.

About Bottlenecks Institute

The Bottlenecks Institute focuses on identifying and addressing the most critical barriers to human progress through systematic analysis and prioritization. Rather than taking a scattered approach to problem-solving, the institute develops frameworks to evaluate which interventions would create the most meaningful impact.

My Role

I contribute to the institute's mission by building the tech stack to make it possible. Because of the importance of AI in our future, we're making bottlenecks AI-ready, combining the expertise of humans and AI for a more powerful system. Together, we can identify and analyze systemic barriers to progress, applying systems thinking to map out where the chokepoints exist in our path toward a better world.

My Hope

My hope is that our work helps redirect our collective energy toward solutions that create real, lasting change—not just for today, but for the world our children will inherit. If we can get this right, we might finally stop spinning our wheels on problems that don't matter and start making real progress on the ones that do. Do you like finding, fixing or funding problems (and solutions)?

Explore the project: www.bottlenecksinstitute.com

Listen + subscribe: Substack

Fill out a Bottlenecks Contributor Form if you’d like to bring more visibility to a constraint affecting your field

Funders: reach out to info@bottlenecksinstitute.com if you're ready to aim your support where it matters most