A Love Letter to New York: The City for Inspiration & Rejuvenation
I visited New York City after an almost 6 year hiatus. I had a chance to attend the OOO (Owner Operator Outlier) Summit in August of 2024. And as expected it was incredibly enlightening and inspiring. I learned so much from speakers like Sam Parr, Ankur Nagpal, Andrew Yeung, Steph Smith, Shahed Khan, Guillermo Rauch & Kyla Scanlon. It was an interesting mix of creators and techies. A very different scene than the one in Silicon Valley where it’s literally just tech folks.
It reminded me of when I left Yahoo! back in 2012. I spent the year going to various conferences and taking lots of classes. One of the best conferences I went to was the PSFK Conference in NYC which was a creative and innovation conference run by that agency. I learned so much. The speakers gave me unique insights into where the business world was going. It made me look at the world in a different way and set me on my path.
I loved NYC growing up and spent quite a lot of time there during my Yahoo! Days. And it was where I made so many friends and is just an incredibly fun city. For a big city guy like me this place is unbelievable. But I saw the place had started gentrifying and homogenizing in the 2010s. It became less fun and I just wrote the place off. Incorrectly, I should add.
This city, especially after so many folks left during the 2020 Pandemic disaster, still attracts the best and brightest young people from around the world. On a regular basis too I might add. The people watching on the street is truly incredible. So many different walks of life, ages and socioeconomic stratas.
And due to this regular influx of people, it is one the few places in the world that has an amazing ability to regenerate itself. It is definitely back in 2024, having experienced it first hand. So many new restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, sporting events, theaters, art and entertainment. It’s so dynamic.
I would also add for me it seems to have an ability to regenerate your energy and life. There is no other city that is as big, as diverse demographic and industry-wise. There is no place on the planet that has the culture cachet and soft power as New York City. San Francisco is my home but I will be spending more time in New York for sure. It’s the place for inspiration and aspiration.