Hi, I’m Ben.

I’m the founder of 80,000 Hours and helped to start the effective altruism movement.

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

I’m the author of the 80,000 Hours Career Guide and Key Ideas Series. I write about career strategy, effective altruism, and using research to have a nice life.

See my full bio.

I write a monthly column about how to do more good with your career on the 80,000 Hours newsletter.

Follow all my writing & ideas on Twitter.

Writing 

Some of the writing I’m more proud of:

• The key ideas of 80,000 Hours (& podcast)
• A list of the world’s most pressing problems
• Video: How to compare the world’s most pressing problems
• The case for reducing extinction risks
• Podcast: what is the core idea of effective altruism?
• Talent gaps vs. funding gaps
• Is it fair to say most social interventions don’t work?
• How communities can coordinate to do more good
• Is effective altruism growing? (lecture version)

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
• The 80,000 Hours career guide

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 sashika.coxhead@80000hours.org.

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

Also see my bio on LinkedIn, press photos & list of past media about 80,000 Hours, inc. interviews with me on SuperDataScience and Clearer Thinking.

Some other interests

• Philosophy & physics: here’s a video by one of my favourite tutors at university (I’m 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 go to a meditation retreat each year, and have been practicing with Waking Up, Michael Taft, and Loch Kelly.
• Personal developmenty stuff: Once a year I do an annual life review – some other people 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, I practice qigong (though I’m not sure about qi), 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 currently advise 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.

Receive a monthly update on my most important writing about how to do more good with your career in the 80,000 Hours newsletter.