I have to admit I had a bunch of misconceptions about Kazakhstan. When @ns announced its move to Astana, my first reaction was: why move a community of mostly digital nomads to what I imagined was a conservative and cold country in Central Asia? Turns out I had some homework to do, so I had to go and see for myself! Here is why it makes sense: Kazakhs have a nomadic heritage that reaches into recent family history - think 2–3 generations of settlers after centuries of nomadic tribes. The name “Kazakh” itself apparently has associations with an independent, wandering life (thank you, @vrneth). When you think about mobile people building strong communities on the go, the connection to network states starts to feel less surprising. Then there’s Astana: a city transformed within a generation after becoming the capital in 1997. The infrastructure is already in place - I kid you not, but it reminded me of visiting Dubai for the first time 15 years ago, minus the heat, plus walkability. The local government wants more international talent and is actively helping NS bring it here. Things seem to move quickly when there’s a will to make them happen. Also, the international presence around the Expo area (where NS is located) is noticeable. I experienced firsthand how eager locals are to talk to strangers, having multiple random, pleasant interactions on the street. @sericssonn a local community lead who very kindly welcomed me to Astana, explained a lot of the context and heritage (I’m very grateful for everything!). He told me that seeking out travelers or those with experience from abroad and learning from them is deeply rooted in Kazakh culture — how else would they know what was happening in the lands they were about to move their entire tribe into? Today, that sounds like a useful instinct for attracting global builders and a startup society such as @ns. My visit was short, so consider this a first impression. But it was so strong that I’ll surely be back to learn more!