Long Now Foundation
Business Profile
Core Value Proposition
Long Now Foundation provides civilization-scale long-term thinking resources, ideas, and experiences to encourage imagining and planning across the next and last 10,000 years.
Target Customer
Educators, researchers, policymakers, cultural institutions, nonprofits, and members of the public seeking civilization-scale long-term thinking; listeners/viewers of Long Now Talks and the Long Now podcast; donors and members.
Key Differentiator
A nonprofit organization delivering tangible, time-scale projects (the 10,000-year clock, Rosetta language archive, Long Now Ideas) alongside public programming (Vision Talks, The Interval) that connect the ancient past to the distant future and promote long-term thinking.
Implementation Timeline
Not specified; programs are ongoing with regular talks and events, including upcoming talks (dates listed on the Talks page) and continuous online content (podcasts, videos).
Pain Points
- 1Short-term thinking and a lack of civilization-scale planning
- 2Need for durable cultural artifacts and knowledge preservation (e.g., language archives) across millennia
- 3Limited access to public spaces and programs that cultivate long-term thinking and dialogue
Key Features
- 1Vision Talks: civilization-scale ideas from leading thinkers (400+ speakers) and accessible via live events, podcasts, and videos
- 2The Interval: a bar, cafe, and community space in San Francisco with exhibits on long-term thinking
- 3Rosetta: a durable archive of over 1,500 human languages, with offworld copies on a comet and the Moon
- 4Long Now Ideas: a living library of long-term thinking with articles, frameworks, and concepts
- 510,000-year clock: a monumental timekeeping project designed to run for the next ten millennia
Target Customer Industries
Decision Makers
- 1Stewart Brand — Cofounder
- 2Danny Hillis — Cofounder
- 3Brian Eno — Cofounder
Client Results
- 1Increased exposure to civilization-scale ideas and long-term thinking through talks, podcasts, and videos
- 2Access to durable language and cultural archives (Rosetta) for research and preservation
- 3Public engagement and community building around long-term thinking through physical spaces (The Interval) and events
- 4Educational and inspirational content that grounds future-oriented thinking in historical context
Competitive Advantages
- 1Unique focus on civilization-scale timescales spanning thousands of years
- 2Combination of public programming, physical spaces, and durable digital/physical archives
- 3Proven track record (founded in 1996; Talks since 2003) with a global audience via podcasts and videos
- 4Distinctive projects (10,000-year clock, Rosetta archive) that physically embody long-term thinking
Key Benefits
Additional Product Information
Product Description
A nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to long-term thinking, offering public talks, enduring projects (10,000-year clock, Rosetta archive), a community space (The Interval), and a living library of long-term ideas (Long Now Ideas).
Target Market
Educators, researchers, policymakers, cultural and scientific institutions, nonprofits, and the general public interested in long-term thinking and civilization-scale perspectives.
Unique Value Proposition
Combines tangible, time-scale projects with broad public programming to institutionalize long-term thinking across education, culture, and policy.
Technical Requirements
No specific technical requirements indicated; content delivered via live talks, podcasts, videos, and online archives; physical venue (The Interval) and field projects (Rosetta archive, clock) exist.
Pricing Model
Donations and memberships; pricing specifics not disclosed in the provided content.
Companies Solving Similar Problems
Based on matching: problems solved, target roles, key features, industries
Y Combinator
Y Combinator helps startups make something people want by providing early-stage funding, mentorship, and a strong network.
goQR.me QR Code Generator
goQR.me QR Code Generator provides free QR code creation for commercial and print usage, including logo-enabled codes and vector exports (EPS/SVG) for high-quality print.
Dell Technology Solutions
Dell provides technology solutions, services, and support, offering a wide range of products including laptops, desktops, servers, storage, monitors, gaming accessories, and more.
JBITSS Technology Solutions
Providing comprehensive technology solutions tailored to business needs.
BuiltWith Web Technology Usage Trends
BuiltWith provides detailed web technology usage statistics and insights for businesses and developers.
Design and Development Services
Umuzi Digital provides comprehensive design, product development, and strategic digital support at a fraction of the cost, enabling businesses to enhance their performance and grow.
Get More Profiles Like This
Join 2,000+ professionals getting weekly sales intelligence updates from GoAgentic
Ready to Transform Your Sales Pipeline?
Join 700+ sales professionals automating outreach with AI.
Start Free Trial
No credit card required