Waves of Greatness
a dent in the universe through human civilization
By reading the stories of great men—those larger-than-life figures who left a dent in the universe and shaped human society—one thing becomes clear: the importance of timing, and the advantage of Waves of Greatness.
From the founding fathers of the United States during the Age of Revolution, to the early Zionists who built the modern State of Israel in the age of rising Nationalism, to the pioneers of the Information Age who gave us personal computers and the internet, to the explorers who pushed the boundaries of the known world during the Age of Exploration—yes, they were all great. But they were also products of their time. Their greatness came from pushing the frontier of their era.
Put simply—I can’t discover America, or sail to an unknown world—it’s already been discovered and mapped (or has it!?). I can’t reestablish the State of Israel and revive Jewish national aspirations—as I was lucky enough to be born into it, after nearly 2,000 years of exile, persecution, and generational longing.
Yes, sometimes I wish I was born in a different time. Boarding a ship to the New World with Columbus (or being Columbus myself), or establishing a colony in some uncharted territory. Or the feeling of touching ground in the promised land after hearing my parents and grandparents talk about Jerusalem every single week—and helping build a country from scratch, a state for the Jewish people.
But that world is gone. And those struggles are not my generation’s struggles.
These men weren’t great in a vacuum. They became great because they pushed the frontier of their time forward—within the unique cultural, political, environmental, and technological conditions that allowed them to do what they did.
That’s not to say there’s no room for agency, or that the trajectory of humanity is guaranteed regardless of these men. Not at all. The Dark Ages are proof of the possibility of stagnation. What I’m saying is—it’s all deeply intertwined. Possibility is bound to context.
It’s somewhat similar in business and innovation. Sometimes you’re right—but it doesn’t matter if you’re too early. History os full of people who were decades or centuries ahead of their time—whose potential only got recognized long after they were gone. Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Emily Dickinson, Vincent van Gogh, and many others.
That moment when the “stars align” (culturally, politically, environmentally, technologically)—that’s what I call a Wave of Greatness. A new frontier opens up, and those ready for it can ride the wave, push boundaries, redefine how we conceive society, and become one of the Greats.
And if I want to become great, and I do, I need to understand the relevance of my generation, of this moment. I need to be ready to catch the wave, which might also never come in my lifetime. But even if it doesn’t come in my lifetime, you can’t know until your last day, I’ll need to push to discover it regardless and create the conditions for it to appear—whether for myself, or for the next generation.
For the American Revolution, what benefited Jefferson and Adams was their fluency in law, writing, and the press, and Washington was years of military experience. In the Early Information Age, it was Computer Science and software that provided the most leverage to who knew how to wield it.
You have to look around and ask: what is coming, what wave should I prepare for? And I think, for our time, there are a few areas that might become relevant, for me at least - to have a chance at greatness. I probably miss a few things, but the point is to stay tuned.
Space Exploration and Colonizing Mars — I believe that in my lifetime, there’s a real possibility we become a multi-planetary species, mostly thanks to Elon Musk. That means we’re in the early days of yet another Age of Exploration—2.0 (aka Space Exploration). Which means my aspiration to explore uncharted territory might actually materialize. And those who do it—those who go first—might be remembered like the greats: like Christopher Columbus and the people of his time, but in space.
So that leads me to think: when will that happen? How can I best be prepared to be part of it, if I want to be? becoming a doctor, an engineer, or something else entirely? inventing space-internet? or just having enough courage and resources is enough?
The Age of Artificial Leverage — With AI, we might need to rethink almost every part of our society. Relationships, institutions, education, economics, work, science—everything.
I deliberately used the word leverage here because I believe AI, combined with other forces, could trigger a renaissance of ideas, discoveries (scientific, engineering, etc.). I believe AI brings the threshold back down—it makes the world full of “low-hanging fruits” again. For discovery. For invention.
For example, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about interplanetary internet connectivity—a future problem that will absolutely need solving. I’m not the most skilled person for the task, but I’m also not entirely disconnected from it. So I went into a few-hour-long conversation with Grok, and came up with some interesting ideas about what could be built—from fast replicas, to a new kind of internet that’s predictive. I called it: Dynamic Predictive Interplanetary Network (DPIN).
The details of the idea don’t really matter—the point is the leverage we now have. The ability to discover new things. To invent new things. At a time when new things need to be invented—not just technologically, but culturally too (see next).
Big Shifts in World Order — I’m convinced the industrial-era social contract and the political thinking that came out of the late-18th Century will become somewhat irrelevant. Nation-states still wave flags, but money, code, and ideas jump borders instantly. The internet economy, especially with AI, moves faster than any parliament can legislate. I don’t know what will come after, but I believe we’ll need to rethink it all—John Locke the foundations of the modern nation-state, democracy, law, etc.—and fit them to this new age. And if I’m completely honest, even without AI and space colonization, this would’ve been needed—we’re still defined by industrial-era political thinking, and we haven’t yet adjusted our institutions to the internet. That’s also why I believe the internet is very much in its EARLY DAYS. I don’t know what that will be—Balaji’s network states? DAOs? Fluid citizenship? Data rights? Privacy? Software-led decision-making and legislation?
The Jewish Israeli Frontier — Sadly, I have a growing sense that the Jewish people are approaching a major turning point—in politics, in religion, in identity.
In Israel, there’s a deepening split—between left and right politically, and between Orthodox and secular Jews religiously. I also fear that the growing “political” anti-Israel sentiment around the world (which, in my view, is just rebranded antisemitism) might create a split between Israeli Jews and Diaspora Jews. A split that, until now, hasn’t really existed—both groups have mostly been aligned and cooperative since the very beginning.
This wave, if it continues, might be devastating. It may require a great unifying force—something strong enough to pull Jewish people and culture together in a time of fragmentation. It might demand rethinking our political institutions. Maybe even our religious ones.
All of the above are possibilities, and I need to position myself to be ready for them. In practice, I think I need to:
Study all aspects of knowledge. From history, ideologies, and major events, to classical literature and thinkers, to modern ones. Economics, psychology, systems thinking—all the way to religion, practice, and lived experience.
Accumulate enough financial resources to fund my ambitions and experiments. To have the freedom to think independently. To go early on space exploration if the opportunity comes, or to pursue political aspirations if that's the path.
Build a name for myself across the disciplines—as a thinker (hence writing publicly), business (hence building a company, becoming financially successful), and technology / innovation (both). Position myself as someone who matters is important. George Washington became the first president because he was positioned well as a great general beforehand — and when the time was right, and the wave hit, he was ready to become one of the Greats.
Future Human Generations, Let’s Go!
Adam Cohen Hillel,
June 7th, 2025 — a random Denny’s Diner in California
*As I live in times of great sensitivity, I feel the need to emphasize that by using the term Great Men, it also encompasses Great Women.