24.05.17, by Lucie Bickerdike
Earlier this month a colleague and I were lucky enough to visit San Francisco. We enjoyed a series of meetings with members of the city’s tech and PR communities.
Much has been written about Silicon Valley as a global hub for technological innovation. More tech giants than it’s possible to count have been born there; Facebook, Google, Uber, AirBnB, Snapchat… and the list goes on.
As a London-based agency specialising in helping fast-growing tech companies to build their profile in the UK and Europe, at NBU we know that the Bay Area is its own special ecosystem. It’s crucial for us to stay fully up-to-date with what’s happening in the west coast’s tech market.
We learned that while San Francisco’s 2017 investment community is excited about AI, health tech and the infrastructure behind the Internet of Things, the bubble may have burst for consumer apps. They’re asking: “Do we really need another social network or food delivery app?” As new apps continue to launch every day, it’s an interesting question to consider.
“It’s an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco.” – Oscar Wilde
Having visited San Francisco twice before I already knew it was a special place, but this time my schedule was a little more varied, so I got to see more of it. Creative thinking seems to ooze out of every building, with innovation and fresh ideas prized above all else. San Franciscans are constantly thinking, “How can we do this better?”
Arguably, the value of the UK’s Silicon Roundabout lies in the London tech community’s ability to recreate an environment that fosters that “we can do anything” mindset, coupled with a traditionally artistic locale. It’s no coincidence that the areas traditionally inhabited by artists in the likes of San Francisco, London and Berlin have become hotbeds of technological creativity (sadly, the resulting gentrification often pricing said artists out of their homes… but that’s another story).
Visiting the birthplace of so many amazing inventions reminded me exactly why I love working in tech PR, and what makes the industry so special. Thanks, San Francisco.
Love,
Lucie xx
“I never dreamed I’d like any city as well as London. San Francisco is exciting, moody, exhilarating. I even love the muted fogs.” – Julie Christie