STARTUP CULTURE
San Francisco

The West Coast startup explosion focuses largely on software and big data. While the automation of tasks and services previously performed by human beings increases, we’re experiencing a revival of craft, handmade and small-scale, local production. In San Francisco we explored this tension. We saw firsthand examples of the maker movement, its impact at the large corporate level, and its influence on other domains like education, healthcare, and government.

Pioneers of West Coast maker culture Dale Dougherty (Make magazine) and Grace Hawthorne (ReadyMade magazine and Paper Punk) shared their ethos as we examined the evolution to data and AI-based technologies. Catalia Health is using robotics to deliver in-home health services, while 3D Systems is changing the nature of manufacturing. We visited the factory of Blackbird Guitars, manufacturing handcrafted instruments. We toured a school in Marin County infusing K-12 education with hands-on making.

Every morning I take a vaccination against technology. I try to force myself to say ‘what’s the market problem?’ Once you have a great market problem, you can then talk about a differentiated and disruptive technology solution. Until, then, technology is actually worthless.
Norm Winarsky, venture capitalist, author and co-creator of Siri