San Francisco Impressions

1 Dec 2019

I just came back from a dinner at a taqueria. We were two skinny white guys with hoodies and Patagonia clothes, talking about ideas, companies and big VC rounds. Behind us, latinos worked their asses off - presumably for minimum wage - and the street outside was filled with black homeless people smoking pot. The racial and socioeconomic divides are jarring. I hope I never ever will get numb or accustomed to it.

The last 3 weeks I've been in San Francisco. Before, I have mostly visited Californa for shorter periods of time - usually around a week - and for clear purposes - mainly conferences. This time is different and it's been more like living in the city rather than visiting the city.

Here is one first impression: it's a bubble (duh). Now I'm generalizing, but everyone within the world of tech looks, thinks and acts the same. This scares me.

What makes one different in this city where everyone is a self-proclaimed contrarian, wants to "have a big impact" and "start a startup"?

Growing up in Sweden, I was always the one walking an unconventional path. In San Francisco's tech world, I'm just like everyone else. Young, white, male, smart, driven, "wants to learn". What makes one different in this city where everyone is a self-proclaimed contrarian, wants to "have a big impact" and "start a startup"? Is there intrinsic value in being different in the first place? I'm not here to propose a solution, I'm only asking the question. I need to refine my personal why.