The Vision that Sustains You

Sal Khan

08.17.19

Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy talks about how his vision for the Khan Academy as an entity that could help reinforce the fabric of society sustained him when he was “a guy living off his savings, working out of a walk-in closet and not sure how he’s going to support his family.”

Summary:

Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy talks about how his vision for the Khan Academy as an entity that could help reinforce the fabric of society sustained him when he was “a guy living off his savings, working out of a walk-in closet and not sure how he’s going to support his family.”

Delusional thinking. That’s what Sal calls it. But his love for Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy occasionally helped him envision himself as a 21st century Harry Seldon, building the Khan Academy to help reinforce the fabric of society. Kind of fun to live out a favorite science fiction fantasy in real life.

Thuy

Where does that come from your tenacity, your belief in the core principle of what you're trying to achieve?
Sal_Khan

Sal Khan

Yeah, it is the belief in clearly there is value. Clearly the world needs an institution like this. And it's just a matter of timing and traction, and resources. And so when Khan Academy was starting to become something, a little part of me said what if this could become like the foundation? What if this could be like an institution we build. Hopefully civilization is not about to enter into a dark ages. But we can keep that from happening even more so. And as all these changes happen in society around automation, artificial intelligence and all these things, that Khan Academy could be an institution that helps society, the social fabric of society to stay intact. And this is all delusional thinking for a guy living off his savings in a walk-in closet not sure if he could support his family.