Antonio Franca

Hi, I'm Antonio. A few facts about me:

I'm Spanish, from a small rural town in Zaragoza. I've also lived in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Singapore, Cambridge, Buenos Aires, and now Vienna.

I've always loved building things and understanding the world around us. At 12, my cousin and I built tree houses in the forest. I'd also collect things from nature and study them under my microscope (I did some terrifying experiments).

I've always loved sports. At 14, I played football at Athletic Bilbao's (spot who I am) youth academy. Now I enjoy swimming, tennis, running, surfing, and HIIT. Sports are my most important source of energy.

I love music. My Spotify listening age is 84 years. I lean toward old music and used to make my own.

I love exploring new cultures and spending time in nature. I've traveled to over 40 countries across every continent except Antarctica.

Some top outdoor picks: surfing Cloud 9 in Siargao, spending a week in the Balearic Islands sleeping in hammocks in the pine forests, and getting stranded deep in the Andes with a flat tire on the Chile-Argentina border (Sunday night, zero battery, and speeding trucks).

How I Confront Life

I intend to live with purpose. My life mission is to live with integrity, push our understanding of the universe forward, and make a positive impact on the lives of others.

I value health and wellness. I monitor my body through Whoop and blood testing. I eat food that comes from nature and use products as close to nature as possible.

I'm a techno-optimist and a libertarian. I believe capitalism, defined by respect for private property, contracts, and free trade, is humanity's greatest engine for prosperity. We solve problems through innovation and freedom.

I try to live in the fullness of rationality. I hate drama. My goal in human interaction is to find the non-zero-sum game where everyone wins the most.

I'm curious and interdisciplinary. I love reading non-fiction: philosophy, ethics, economics, geopolitics. I've tried fiction multiple times, but it doesn't stick. This world is already too interesting.

I believe suffering is always going to be present throughout our lives. We can't avoid it. I've learned to take the pain upfront. It is always better to get the hard part over with early rather than letting it hang over me.

What I look for in people

I'm pretty easy to get along with. Your chances are good that I'll be nice to you, whoever you are. But there are a few things that matter to me when choosing who to get around with:

I like people who are ambitious. Not in the status-seeking way, but in the "I want to do something that matters" way. People who act in good faith and have a good heart. This sounds abstract, but you can actually spot it when you interact with someone.

I like people who are genuinely self-fulfilled. The best relationships happen between people who are already whole on their own. This is when interdependence (in the Covey sense) can only happen.

I value humility, curiosity, and simplicity (making things 'as simple as possible, but no simpler'). I dislike artificial complexity and arrogance. I respect people who take serious care of themselves, because you can't treat others well if you don't start with yourself.

I don't do well with disloyalty. I'm deeply loyal, and breaking integrity (this has many shapes) is the one thing that is almost impossible to come back from.