Network School vs Zuzalu: How Two Popup Communities Compare

Zuzalu was a popup city experiment organized by Vitalik Buterin in Montenegro in 2023, bringing together about 200 people for two months around themes of longevity, AI, and Ethereum governance. Network School was founded by Balaji Srinivasan as an ongoing startup society in Forest City, Malaysia. Both are experiments in intentional community building by prominent tech figures, but their philosophies differ. Zuzalu was more exploratory and temporary by design, while NS aims to be a permanent, continuously operating community with rolling monthly cohorts.

Zuzalu ran as a one-time event with subsequent spinoffs (Zu-connect, Edge City) in different locations. Each instance lasted a few weeks to two months. NS operates continuously with monthly cohorts starting on the first of each month. Members can stay for one month or indefinitely. This structural difference is significant: Zuzalu creates intense but time-limited experiences, while NS offers a stable base you can return to. NS has built permanent infrastructure, while Zuzalu-inspired events adapt to each new venue.

Zuzalu attracted a mix of longevity researchers, Ethereum developers, AI researchers, and governance thinkers. The intellectual range was deliberately broad and the conversations were often deeply academic. NS attracts a wider range of professionals including startup founders, remote workers, fitness enthusiasts, and crypto builders. The NS community is larger, with 400-plus members compared to Zuzalu's roughly 200, and more diverse in professional backgrounds. Both communities skew young, tech-savvy, and idealistic about technology's potential.

Zuzalu events have varied in cost but generally involve event tickets plus accommodation, which can total several thousand dollars for a multi-week stay. NS offers a more affordable and predictable all-inclusive model at 1,500 or 3,000 USD per month. NS is also more accessible in the sense that anyone can apply for any month, while Zuzalu events are less frequent and require specific invitations or applications for limited spots. The rolling monthly format of NS lowers the barrier to participation significantly.

If you want a focused intellectual sprint with a specific community around Ethereum, longevity, or governance topics, watch for the next Zuzalu-inspired event. If you want an ongoing community with daily structure, fitness programming, and the flexibility to stay for as long as you want, NS is the better fit. Many people attend both, using Zuzalu events as intensive gatherings and NS as a longer-term base. You can apply at ns.com to establish a home base and then attend popup events like Zuzalu when they arise.