Balaji Wiki

zuzalu-and-popups

3 min read

When to Use

When someone wants to understand the popup model for materializing internet communities, when they’re planning a community gathering, or when they want to understand the Zuzalu precedent.

The Framework

The Core Thesis

Balaji argues that popups (internet communities temporarily meeting in the physical world) are the 2020s equivalent of startups:

“An internet community that temporarily meets up in the physical world, and terraforms it in some fashion.” — Balaji Srinivasan, “Popups are the New Startups” (Oct 2025)

The progression of internet-native creation:

  1. Internet companies (1990s-2000s): Online communities creating economic value
  2. Internet currencies (2010s): Online communities creating financial systems
  3. Internet communities materializing physically (2020s): Online communities creating places

The Instruction

“Begin with a popup, and get your online friends in the same place at the same time.” — Balaji Srinivasan, “Popups are the New Startups” (Oct 2025)

The Vision

“1000+ friendly internet communities around the world that anyone can choose from.” — Balaji Srinivasan, “Popups are the New Startups” (Oct 2025)

The 2025 Network State Conference

The scale of the movement: the 2025 Network State Conference featured crypto executives (Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong), government representatives (Singapore, El Salvador, UAE), and venture capitalists discussing startup societies and charter cities. This is no longer fringe.

Network School as Popup Template

Balaji’s own Network School demonstrates the model at scale:

  • Selection: 4,000 applications for 128 slots (31:1 ratio)
  • Selection criteria: Form → Zoom → Room → Boom (application, interview, acceptance, arrival)
  • Four pillars: Learn (intellectual capacity), Burn (physical commitment), Earn (economic contribution), Fun (community fit)
  • “Dark talent”: Seeking people who are exceptional but not yet recognized by conventional institutions

The Physical Layer

The popup represents the critical transition from purely digital community to physical presence. Balaji argues this physical layer is necessary because:

  1. Not everything can be done online (“you can’t meet, mate, mingle” purely digitally)
  2. Physical co-location creates stronger bonds than digital-only interaction
  3. Physical territory is necessary for diplomatic recognition
  4. The experience of living in the community converts skeptics more effectively than any argument

From Popup to Permanent

The progression:

  • One-time popup: Proof of concept (the community can physically gather)
  • Recurring popup: Habit formation (the gathering becomes a tradition)
  • Multi-site popups: Network effect (community organizes gatherings without central coordination)
  • Semi-permanent: Infrastructure (community leases or buys space for year-round use)
  • Permanent settlement: Network archipelago (multiple properties, full-time residents)

Example

Zuzalu (2023): Vitalik Buterin organized a two-month popup city in Montenegro. ~200 participants from the Ethereum and broader crypto community lived together, worked together, and held events. It demonstrated that an internet community could temporarily create a functioning physical settlement. Multiple subsequent Zuzalu-inspired events followed worldwide, demonstrating the replicability of the model.

Output

After reading this, you should be able to:

  • Define what a popup is and isn’t
  • Design a first popup gathering for any internet community
  • Map the progression from one-time event to permanent settlement
  • Reference the Network School selection model as a template for curating popup attendance

Source: “Popups are the New Startups” (Oct 2025), “Network School” Substack posts (2024-2025)

Graph View