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I Still Want to Make the World a Better Place
Being hopeful in Silicon Valley does not make me naive
Earlier this year, I read an essay in OneZero called “This is Silicon Valley”. Maybe you read it, too. It was pretty popular. The author made some really important points, but I couldn’t help but feel that we weren’t getting the full picture of the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.
I often feel like many people in the tech world feel cynical about where technology is moving forward, and I can understand this. There are a lot of problems that we haven’t really solved, and a lot about the system is still pretty messed up — especially in terms of privacy, inclusion, and safety.
But still, I remain optimistic. Let me explain.
At the beginning of my second year of college, someone I knew who had launched his own startup asked me what I wanted to do after graduation.
I told him that I was unsure, but I did want to make the world a better place.
As you read this part, I’m curious how many of you will roll your eyes. He responded in precisely the same way some of you might have, saying, “Don’t give me that Silicon Valley bullshit.”
Considering I hadn’t been exposed to much of “SV tech culture” yet and hadn’t watched Silicon Valley, I was baffled. What Silicon Valley bullshit?
Ah, yes, I soon discovered — the “wantrepreneur” who wants to make the world a better place with his new software-as-a solution (SaaS) for the enterprise.
Still, there are still many of us who are super excited about solving important, relevant problems.
People are allowed to think that they might be able to make the world a better place.
Binti, a startup in Oakland, CA, has created proprietary software that helps foster kids find families in an easier and more efficient way. FarmWise is a company that’s designing robots to help with weeding farms for more sustainable agriculture. Verily Life Sciences (a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.) is working on a project related to early diabetic retinopathy detection to help prevent blindness. Gun violence is a topic I feel particularly strongly about…
