For three decades we've been living through a paradigm shift. Our world is moving from the fading Fordist age to the ever-strengthening digital age. This shift is as unstoppable as the one that once brought us from railroads and steel mills to Fordist factories. And its impact on our lives is just as radical.
In this context, the lessons from history are clear: Providing economic security for the many generates prosperity for all. But this can only be done with the right safety net supporting both households and businesses against the risks brought about by the digital age.
There are those who long to re-establish the standards and regulations that marked the post-war boom. Others, especially in tech, realize that the institutions we know are anachronistic and no longer fit for today's challenges.
Alas, neither group is considering the real solution: A complete redesign of our safety net that will let it do its critically important job without getting in the way of progress. Moving toward that new design is what Hedge is all about.
Advance Praise
"An eye-opening primer to the technological present, proposing bold solutions for a 'Safety Net 2.0' and a better future for all." - Carlota Perez, author of Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital: The Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages.
"Hedge brings together a deep reading of the history of economic development through transformational technology with Nicolas's own direct experience as a co-founder of The Family." - William H. Janeway, Senior Advisor, Warburg Pincus, author of Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy.
"A sharp and historically grounded analysis of how technology and the political economy of the West have evolved in tandem." - Kim-Mai Cutler, Partner, Initialized.
"An important book which poses profound questions about the social and political effects of technological change." - Sir Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister.
"Hedge should become part of Silicon Valley's playbook, because we urgently need to come together and find ways to uplift humanity in these times of radical change." - Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School and Carnegie Mellon University.
"Carefully documented yet contemporary, Hedge makes for compulsive and thought-provoking reading, which will hopefully stir you into action." - Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View.
Nicolas Colin began his career in the French civil service and then brought his clear understanding of regulatory systems across Europe to his work as a tech entrepreneur. In 2013, he became Co-founder and Director of The Family, a pan-European investment firm supporting early-stage entrepreneurs, now with a portfolio of 150+ fast-growing startups.
He sits on the board of Radio France, the French national radio broadcasting corporation, and teaches university courses on corporate strategy and public policy at Sciences Po in Paris. He has previously served as a member of the board of the French personal data protection authority.
Nicolas is a thought-provoking voice in the conversation about new institutions in the digital world. He has co-authored several works on technology, including a 2013 Report on Taxation in the Digital Economy (for which he was voted one of that year's ten most influential people by the International Tax Review). His articles regularly appear in both English and French publications, including Foreign Affairs, The Financial Times, and Le Monde. Hedge is his third book, and the first published in English.
Nicolas was born in Normandy, France and raised by musician parents, becoming an accomplished bass guitar player. He lives in London with his wife Laetitia Vitaud and their two children.
