Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset once said: “Living is a constant process of deciding what we are going to do.”
I would quote Heidegger too, but he is truly unquotable. A quote will appear below as proof.
Heidegger and Ortega met in Germany and shared concerns that feel increasingly relevant today: technology, mass movements, what it means to be human in an increasingly technological world, and the existential dimensions unfolding alongside it.
We are living in a world that is exponentially accelerating. Advanced technology helps us become more efficient and save more time, not necessarily so that we may live better, but so that we may become more productive. Or at least, that is the worldview often promoted by certain corners of the internet.
Alongside the enthusiasm surrounding AI, new forms of certainty continue to emerge. Prediction markets, technological optimism, and increasingly confident forecasts attempt to tame uncertainty, which is understandable in times of rapid change.
As humans, we crave certainty. We cling to a log in hopes of reaching shore safely. Each of us tells stories that make uncertainty more bearable. Along the way, some groups inevitably wreak havoc in the name of their gods, whether religious or technological.
In the middle of such turbulence, stepping back to ask questions and have conversations can seem like a strange response, especially when those questions examine the beliefs we hold most dearly. Socrates ended up on death row for doing precisely that, though perhaps also because he was somewhat annoying.
The Tech Leaders Salon is an attempt to create space for that kind of conversation.
“Thinking is on the descent to the poverty of its provisional essence. Thinking gathers language into simple saying. In this way language is the language of Being, as clouds are the clouds of the sky. With its saying, thinking lays inconspicuous furrows in language. They are still more inconspicuous than the furrows that the farmer, slow of step, draws through the field.”
— Martin Heidegger
About the Discussion Series
The Tech Leaders Salon is a year-long reading and discussion series hosted within Cyb3rSyn Labs, a multidisciplinary community founded by Laksh Raghavan.
The salon brings together founders, technology leaders, and practitioners for monthly conversations at the intersection of:
- technology
- strategy
- organizational culture
- philosophy and the human questions shaping modern work
Each session centers on a shared text or film and emphasizes thoughtful conversation rather than debate or technical analysis. The aim is to step outside day-to-day execution and reflect more deeply on the ideas influencing leadership, innovation, and technological change.
2026 Reading Themes & Lineup
Q1: Philosophical Foundations & Technology
Foundations. Mental models. The philosophical ground of leadership.
- Philosophy for Business Leaders, Mahmoud Rasmi
The importance of cultivating a philosophical mindset for asking questions, navigating uncertainty, and the quest for meaning. - The Question Concerning Technology, Martin Heidegger
A philosophical exploration of technology, power, purpose, and human agency. - A New Way to Think, Roger L. Martin
A practical set of frameworks for better problem-solving, strategy, and leadership.
Q2: Strategy, Culture & Organisational Dynamics
How organizations behave. How strategy works. How desire shapes technology.
- The Architect’s Paradox (Selections), Barry O’Reilly An introduction to philosophy for software engineers and architects that will help them understand their design process. This book helps to answer the question “Why are we like this?”
- The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle
Signals, trust, safety, and the unwritten rules of high-performing groups. - Mimesis in Silicon Valley: Girard Documentary + Readings
Q3: AI, Alignment & the Future of Work
Values, bias, automation, and the philosophical stakes of intelligent systems.
- The Fuzzy and the Techie, Scott Hartley
Why interdisciplinary leadership matters more than ever. - The Alignment Problem, Brian Christian
The deep technical and moral challenges in aligning AI with human values. - A World Without Work, Daniel Susskind
What automation means for economies, institutions, and meaning.
Q4: Power, History & the Human Condition
Context, responsibility, cycles of progress, and the long arc of ideas.
- Mania, Lionel Shriver
Navigating a dystopian future. - Humanly Possible, Sarah Bakewell
A sweeping history of humanism as a guide to better leadership. - Frankenstein, Mary Shelley | Movie, Guillermo del Toro
The archetypal story about creation, responsibility, and unintended consequences.
How the Sessions Work
We meet once per month, typically on the last weekend of each month, to discuss a selected book, essay, or occasionally a film or documentary.
The discussions are co-hosted with Laksh as part of the broader Cyb3rSyn community.
For questions: [email protected]