About KOTF
We develop the people, companies, and systems that will shape the future of technology.
Our purpose
Technology is shaped by decisions about what to build, what to question, and who to build it with. Those decisions are made well by people with real depth, working inside organizations and systems that let their work last. We work on all three together.
People
Engineers, researchers, inventors, and founders with the depth to contribute.
Companies
Organizations that carry important work further, and for longer, than any individual can.
Systems
The software, tools and institutions that other people go on to build upon.
How it fits together
Engineering, research, invention, and entrepreneurship depend on one another. We treat them as one field of work.
Engineering and research
Engineering applies what research establishes. Research is sharpened by the problems engineers meet in practice.
Research and invention
Understanding makes new things possible, and making them exposes what is not yet understood.
Invention and entrepreneurship
A new capability becomes valuable when it is carried into ventures and institutions that last.
What we value
Depth over coverage
We would rather understand foundations well enough to rebuild them than have seen many tools.
Work that can be examined
We show progress in artifacts others can review: code, experiments, writing, and designs.
Honest evaluation
Our standards are explicit, and feedback is direct and specific.
Mentorship with purpose
Experienced practitioners give direction and critique, not only encouragement.
Responsibility to the community
We contribute to the learning of others and to the integrity of shared work.
Join us.
Tell us who you are and what you want to work on, and we'll contact you about activities relevant to you.