Ryan van Sickle

Background

About Ryan van Sickle

Fifteen thousand years ago, we planted seeds—birthing Civilization¹, the Agrarian Age. Three centuries ago, we burned coal—igniting Civilization², the Industrial Age. Today, the learning machine is the new steam engine. Software writes itself. Biology compiles like code. The old order is not being tweaked; a new one is being written on a new substrate. This is the focus of my life's work and forthcoming book, Civilization³. After a career spent founding companies, advising sovereign funds, and building innovation platforms, I am currently on sabbatical, synthesizing these experiences into a framework for navigating our world in the aftermath of AGI. My path has always tracked the co-evolution of technology and consciousness—from a university thesis on the "Integral Singularity" and early research on decentralized currencies (pre-Bitcoin), to founding ventures at the dawn of new industries like podcasting and Web3. The throughline has been a focus on complex systems and the architectures—of capital, of culture, of code—that shape our future. While my primary focus is the book, I continue to engage in a small number of advisory roles, helping leaders and organizations navigate profound technological shifts. I am always open to connecting with fellow builders and thinkers operating at the edge.