The other day, my friend Loic Le Meur shared a hilarious take on Maslov’s famous Hierarchy of Needs, simply called, “Silicon Valley Hierarchy of Needs.” For many, including me, the list of laughably superficial “needs” of those mocked in Silicon Valley are also a little too familiar or relatable. We all know that person, someone like them, or we’ve seen them characterized in spoofs, TV, movies, books, etc. As a refresher, Abraham Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs were inspired by his…
The Importance of Artistry in Business and Everything
I am a big fan of Chase Jarvis and I’m also proud to call him a dear friend. As I was preparing for the launch of my next book, I found this gem of a video from 2013. I can’t believe I lost this. In what is either a serendipitous or coincidental discovery, this video was shot as part of the official debut of CreativeLIVE‘s studio in San Francisco at the same time I was introducing What’s the Future of…
Facebook’s Suicide Prevention, Cocaine Fueled Startups and Silicon Valley as the Hub of Innovation? – ContextMatters #5
Facebook’s Suicide Prevention System Social media bullying is an unfortunate reality. The heart-breaking cases of suicides are frequently in the news these days. At the same time, social media is serving as a new window into our ourselves, our emotions, our states of mind and being. Sometimes, expressions indicate intentions, actions are reflect signs of help. Facebook introduced a new suicide prevention feature, but is it enough? With social media comes great responsibility…and that takes technology and human engagement. Cocaine…
Medium vs. Twitter and The Tech War in San Francisco – ContextMatters Episode 4
Medium vs. Twitter Have you used Medium the >140 version of Twitter? During the early days of social media, platforms such as WordPress and Blogger offered technology and networks to anyone with something to say. Over the years, blogging would give rise to a new generation of authoritative, engaging and entertaining voices that might not otherwise found their stage. At the same time, new social channels would emerge that would introduce a subtler more rapid form of publishing that focused…
ContextMatters Episode 3: Brian Williams, The Future of Social Media + The Anti-Vaccine Movement
Three weeks in and three episodes are now online. Chris Saad and I really got into these topics in the latest episode of ContextMatters. There are parts that are charged and definitely NSFW. We stray a bit away from tech to tackle timely subjects related to journalism and the future of social media as well as the hotly debated topic of vaccinations. Schedule Topic 1: First up is Brian Williams and the controversy surrounding his news coverage in Iraq. We…
ContextMatters Episode 2: T.J. Miller and ‘Bitchgate’ and CNN’s Sex, Drugs and Silicon Valley
Welcome to the second episode of ContextMatters. My co-host Chris Saad and I are having fun recording this series. More so, we’re enjoying expanding the community beyond our world here in Silicon Valley to explore the things that affect business, tech and culture. In this episode, we take out our macro lens to look closely at the strange fascination with what could best be described as Silicon Valley’s unconventional behavior. Listen (also embedded below). Schedule Topic 1: We attempt to…
![Silicon Valley is Not a Place, It’s a Movement…and It Has a Story Behind the Story [video]](https://briansolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/rev-owen2.png)
Silicon Valley is Not a Place, It’s a Movement…and It Has a Story Behind the Story [video]
Silicon Valley is a flashpoint for innovation and entrepreneurialism. But, what does Silicon Valley even mean these days? Silicon Valley technically spans the area in the southern San Francisco Bay Area including Santa Clara Valley, San Jose and southern East Bay. What Silicon Valley actually refers to in terms of geography seems moot in an economy when the idea of Silicon Valley is much bigger than the square miles it covers on a map. In reality, when people outside of…
USA Today’s Jon Swartz on Disruptive Technology’s Impact on Business and Culture
Jon Swartz is a veteran journalist who has covered Silicon Valley’s highs and lows over the years. As Swartz says, he’s seen it all and along the way, he’s chronicled not only the events but its impact on business, culture, and society. Jon joins us on (R)evolution to discuss disruptive technology, what it means and what’s next. Please take a moment to watch and let us know your thoughts… Season 2 – Episode 12 Image Credit: Thomas Hawk Season Two:…
September SF NewTech Meetup
On the heels of the Silicon Valley NewTech Meetup in Palo Alto on Tuesday, I spent the day in San Francisco at the Social Media Club HQ specifically to attend my first SF event – well that and a million other things on the SF to do list. Organized by Joel Sacks, CNET and Marketing Strategist at BuzzShout, and Myles Weissleder, VP of Communications for Meetup, SF NewTech Meetup is similar in format to the Silicon Valley event, but targeted…
September Silicon Valley NewTech Meetup
Your host, Vincent Lauria Last night’s Silicon Valley NewTech Meetup was definitely the biggest yet. Vincent “Vinnie” Lauria again took center stage to welcome guests, which included VCs, engineers, programmers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and plenty of CEOs. The evening’s lineup included four up-and-coming Web startups, some more well known than others (and maybe one that really isn’t a startup per se). And interestingly enough, all seem to have found their niche for creating a loyal customer-base. For those of you too…
