Week 2 in San Francisco: A City of Extremes
When I arrived in San Francisco last Sunday, the last rain fizzled out. Every morning, I woke up to the sun shining into my Airbnb on the top of Russian Hill. After getting a delicious coffee and pastry, I walked to the office in South Park.
During the day, in addition to my regular Descartes Labs meetings, I had lunch with a potential board member, caught up with an investor friend over email, ran into a former colleague in South Park, and canceled other plans so I could attend a going-away party for a friend (thanks for the tip, Sarah!). Days were topped with world-class sushi, cannabis delivered to my door via an app, and an underground deep techno club.
Part of the charm of the City is the ability to escape into other worlds. Consolidated theme parks of experience obviate trips outside the cage. Why deal with bridge traffic when you can hike in the City? I visited Glen Canyon Park, where it feels like you’re deep in nature at the bottom of the ravine. For history, I visited the ruins of Sutro Baths, ancient by no means, but a connection to the recent past — a reminder that our current age may also be fleeting. And that was just Saturday.
This might sound like an average day to all of you San Franciscans, because it’s the life a lot of you lead. For a guy from Santa Fe, change of pace is exhilarating. There are few places in the world that have this concentration of food, people, and activities.
It reminded me why I came out to San Francisco from Santa Fe for a month. I wanted to recharge my network, but I also wanted to recharge myself. The energy of this City is undeniable.
Of course, it’s not all roses. After having lived in Santa Fe for four years, where the quality of life is fantastic, the problems of San Francisco seem all the more prominent.
One shock was how long everything takes. Lines for burritos, lines for elevators, lines for coffee, lines at Trader Joe’s that extend into the aisles. The smart Uber drivers weave through side streets, taking short cuts to avoid crawling through traffic. Public transportation has a spotty record — it’s great if it’s going from where you are to where you’re headed, but don’t count on that. Luckily, no one bats an eye when you show up to a meeting 5 minutes late and sweaty: they’ve been there, too.
Then there’s the whole grotty side to San Francisco. While in an Uber, stopped in traffic in the Tenderloin, I saw two different drug transactions. They made no attempt to hide their money or the small baggy. To seal the deal, they shook hands. One of the customers was in his 60s and looked just like an average grandpa. Perhaps he dropped the needle I dodged on the way to work.
How so much wealth can be juxtaposed with extreme destitution is shocking to me. Entrepreneurship is everywhere in San Francisco. I even got a lecture about AI from the owner at the antique store I walked into. With all of these creative minds, with all of the resources they have, how have we failed those who need it most?
At the end of a productive first week, I am glad that I came out. In spite of San Francisco’s problems, I’ll always come back for my sushi fix, to raise capital for Descartes Labs, and to soak up social energy. But I won’t stay. After a few weeks of this sprint, I’ll be ready for the mountain air and ready to execute back at the ranch.
