I don’t think it’s great to tell most people to. keep switching fields based on updated impact calculations. There are advantages to building focussed careers—increasing returns to effort within the same domain. The exception would be founder-types and some generalist type talent. I’m not sure why we start with the premise that EA has to channel people into specific career paths based on impact calculations. It has a distortionary effect on the price of labor. Just as I’d prefer tax dollars being channeled into direct cash payments as welfare, i’d prefer if EAs made as much money as possible and donated it, so they can pay for whoever is best qualified to do what needs to be done.
I don’t think it’s great to tell most people to. keep switching fields based on updated impact calculations. There are advantages to building focussed careers—increasing returns to effort within the same domain. The exception would be founder-types and some generalist type talent. I’m not sure why we start with the premise that EA has to channel people into specific career paths based on impact calculations. It has a distortionary effect on the price of labor. Just as I’d prefer tax dollars being channeled into direct cash payments as welfare, i’d prefer if EAs made as much money as possible and donated it, so they can pay for whoever is best qualified to do what needs to be done.