Back From Silicon Valley: 6 Lessons We’re Bringing Home

We just wrapped up another amazing tour in San Francisco with our Spirit of the Valley crew.

Jet-lagged? Maybe. Energized? Absolutely.

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Here’s what we’re bringing home:

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1) Authenticity wins

In a week drowning in agents, platforms, and automation, the most future-proof insight was surprisingly analogue: human connection.

The energy between participants—shared questions, late-night reflections, cross-industry best practices—was just as powerful as the company visits themselves. You can’t replicate that in a slide deck.

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2) Mindset is everything

The Valley doesn’t just build products. It builds velocity.

10x thinking. Moonshots. And the humility to start with the hardest problem first.

As the CEO of Box (worth $3.8 billion) told us:

“We’re betting the whole company on AI.”

That kind of clarity sticks.

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3) Demos, not memos

The new Valley mantra.

Less slides, more prototypes. Less discussion, more delivery. The real work starts when you stop talking about it.

4) Speed is the new normal

Long-term thinking here? Two months.

Agentic AI isn’t coming. It’s already reshaping how companies operate.

And yes—we rode in Waymo’s self-driving cars. They already drive better than most humans. No steering wheel needed. 😅

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5) Moonshots require discipline, not just optimism

It’s not about +10% improvements. It’s about 10× outcomes.

And that starts by tackling the hardest problem first—before you get distracted by the “easy wins” that look good on a roadmap.

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6) The real takeaway: the future is built together

The tech was impressive. The ambition was contagious. But the most durable advantage we saw was how people think, share, and move—together.

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Want to experience Silicon Valley yourself?

Great news: we’re heading back in January 2027… but that’s all we can say for now.

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