Noe Valley already has so many good things going for it. I want to add to that with art, technology, and things people can play with. Noe Foundry is a place to build things and see where they go.
Before moving to San Francisco, I remember reading Paul Graham’s essays and jwz’s blog about DNA Lounge and thinking: these are smart people building cool stuff. The startup ideas were exciting, but DNA Lounge was interesting in a different way. It was someone using technical skills and creativity to build a space, make culture, and have fun. I wanted to be around people doing things like that.
Now I’m here, with a full-time job and a family, and I still want to make things, bring ideas to life, and connect with people. Making art with technology often took so much energy just to get something simple working that getting to the art itself was hard. That’s what makes AI so exciting for somebody like me. It helps me get to the creative part and turn the things I imagine into something people can actually experience.
I’m still excited about technology and people starting businesses. But it doesn’t all have to be billion-dollar AI startup thinking. Some of what technology has become, and the dystopian future people see coming, makes me sad. That’s not the future I want for myself or my family. I want to make things that help people, bring joy, make us think, or at least make us laugh.
The Noe Bell on Slow Sanchez is a great example. It’s literally a button. Kids know what to do: press it, hear music, start dancing. Other people join in. It’s free, it changes, and it gives people something to enjoy together. I love seeing that kind of life in the neighborhood. How can we bring more art and technology into that mix?
With kids, I want to find out what they’re interested in and build from there. Adults should be part of it too. We’re figuring out what to do with this technology together. There should be room to play, get curious about how things work, and make something nobody had planned.
I don’t have it all figured out. I want to start, make things, and learn as I go. I’m looking forward to sharing this adventure with other people.