I Run Earth
Adventurer. AI Engineer. Writer.
I'm Olly Cohen — a 27-year-old adventurer and software engineer based in Seattle. In 2024, I ran 1,500 miles from Seattle to Jasper, Alberta, and back pushing a baby stroller with my skis strapped to it. Then, I ran 1,000 continuous miles from the Indian Ocean to the top of Kilimanjaro to East Africa's only public children's hospital.
In 2025, I ran 1,000 miles across India and Japan. My goal is to travel 1,000 continuous miles on foot on every continent by 2030. Next up: the full length of the Andes.
By day, I build software with AI. I believe the role of the human engineer is knowing what game is worth playing — then setting up feedback loops for AI to win it.
8,000 miles across the world's longest mountain range. Fastest Known Time attempt, heading north to south over 12 months.
379 miles through the Indian Himalayas, 294 miles over Mt Fuji and the Japanese Alps, 300+ miles along Japan's tsunami coast.
1,000 miles with Rocky Mtui through villages, desert, jungle, and the Great Rift Valley to East Africa's only public children's hospital.
1,500 miles pushing a baby stroller with skis strapped to it, relying on local kindness to survive the winter.
I write software with Claude. The most important skill for engineers now is setting up feedback loops for AI to build and test integrated components. As implementation gets cheaper, the value shifts entirely to problem selection.
I've fired principal engineers with 10+ years of experience because I could deliver their work faster with AI. That's not arrogance — it's the new reality of software.
Read More →The most important skill for software engineers is setting up feedback loops for AI to build and test integrated components of a system.
February 2026 TechToday, I'm planning to fire two highly talented Principal Engineers with 10+ years of experience because I think I can do their job with Claude.
January 2026 PersonalOur culture raises men to believe their value is tied to money. I crested a hill in the rain, feeling the weight of my soaking backpack, and broke into tears.
April 2025 Africa RunMy introduction to running with Kenyan pros in the legendary town of Iten — the daily routines of the world's greatest athletes.
September 2024