Startup Ecosystems

Who have you actually watched build the startup you're trying to build? Saeed Amidi makes a point about Stanford I keep coming back to: the reason so many students there start companies is that they grow up seeing it as normal. A graduate feels they could just as easily go build the next Google as go get a job at one. He points to the poster children — Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Bill Hewlett, Dave Packard. When you can see people like you doing it, building becomes something you can picture yourself doing. I launched the startup incubator at San José State, where I still teach. Same engineering talent as anywhere. Far fewer startups. The gap isn't intellect... it's whether or not students believe they can do it. The same dynamic runs for anyone starting a business. What you believe you can attempt is shaped by the peers you can watch attempting it. That's why community isn't just encouragement — it's the infrastructure your belief runs on. Watch Saeed make the point himself here: https://youtu.be/bb9n-CnDGVA Who in your peer group has already made this leap? And if you can't name anyone... is that why you're hesitating? #IndependentConsultant #Coaching #Consulting …more

How far are you making a future client travel to find you? I spent years asking people to come to me... took me too long to just go where they already are. That's Inspiring Founders — the room your clients are already in: https://inspiringfounders.com …more

I sat across from Saeed Amidi in San Jose, a live audience in the room with us. Saeed founded Plug and Play Tech Centers. He also, almost as an aside, runs a plastics and bottled-water company that does a billion dollars a year... which he still calls his "day job." He told us about a building on University Avenue in Palo Alto. His first tenant there was Peter Thiel. His third was Andy Rubin. And in that same stretch, Larry and Sergey were building Google. He calls it the lucky building, the one that got him into PayPal. Now Plug and Play invests in about 100 startups a year. He's building an AI Center of Excellence in San Jose. He thinks the AI revolution is 10 to 20 times bigger than mobile... and still only the tip of the iceberg. But the part that stayed with me wasn't the numbers. It was when he talked about pressure as a prerequisite. And why he won't back a founder who has a Plan B. Then he closed with a line, and the whole room lit up: "You can either get a job at Google, or BUILD Google!" Full conversation with Saeed is on the Inspiring Founders Podcast. Watch it on YouTube, or listen on Spotify. #IndependentConsultant #GoingIndependent #Coaching #ThoughtLeadership …more

Santa Cruz Works Rooftop New Tech is back on May 6, and I'll be there. If you're a founder working on something in tech, this is one of the best nights to show up. Six startups will present on the rooftop at Anton Pacific. Solid food and drinks. Great views. Real conversations with other builders. I've advised and invested in startups for years. Three of those companies had billion-dollar exits. I've also launched three of my own, with one major acquisition. The early stages are hard when you're doing everything yourself—go-to-market, messaging, content—all while trying to build product. The best part of events like this isn't the presentations. It's the conversations between them. The founder who's stuck on messaging and finally gets clarity. The team that's been guessing at go-to-market and walks away with a plan. I'll be there between presentations. If you want to talk through your go-to-market strategy, your messaging, or how to build a content system that doesn't eat your week, come find me. I'm happy to walk through what's working and where you can get a quick win. https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/santa-cruz-works-rooftop-new-tech-may-6 …more

On Thursday, April 30 from 5–7 p.m., the Santa Cruz Hardware Meetup is hosting a behind-the-scenes tour of Idea Fab Labs at their Mission Street location. RSVP here: https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/idea-fab-labs-x-santa-cruz-hardware-meetup. Comment below if you plan to attend. …more

Santa Cruz Works New Tech on April 1 at Chaminade includes a rare Steve Jobs appearance for Apple’s 50th anniversary. ;-) If you plan on going, send me a message. 7:00 pm - Company presentations, plus 2 more to be announced soon Bandit Systems: Security should stop problems before they become expensive headaches. Bandit Systems’ RealTime Remote Guard Service uses AI video analytics, cameras, patented audio systems, and trained operators to resolve 98% of crime and trespassing incidents in under 60 seconds. Cora Nexus AI: Customer Success agents that actually do the manual work to serve and grow your customers. So your teams can focus on the human, relationship-driven work to drive growth. mimofit: mimofit is building a home-based training system for people with Parkinson’s and related conditions. By combining adaptive exercise, neuroplasticity research, and simple at-home use, the company aims to make meaningful therapy more accessible and more consistent. Subsense: Subsense is developing a non-surgical, minimally invasive brain-computer interface that uses biocompatible nanoparticles and a wearable headset to read and write neural signals. Starting with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and epilepsy, the company aims to build a scalable platform for future human-AI interaction, communication, and cognitive enhancement. The Hidden Singing Superpower: Fresh from UCSC Grad Slam 2026, Matt Evans explores a fascinating question: why does music remain so durable in memory even as other memories fade? His work looks at the surprising accuracy of internal musical recall and what that reveals about the brain. Vispo AI: Vispo helps founders manage the legal foundations of a startup without drowning in paperwork or legal bills. Its AI-powered platform guides users through incorporation, SAFE financing, and compliance, acting like a legal co-pilot built specifically for early-stage companies. https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/santa-cruz-works-new-tech-april-2026 …more

Joby’s piloted electric flight across the Bay makes near-term commercial service feel real. For Santa Cruz and similar cities, founders should treat vertiports as new urban infrastructure, not a niche product. If you are a founder working on urban air mobility or local pilots, send me a message to compare notes and introductions. #urbanairmobility https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/joby-lifts-off-and-santa-cruz-looks-up …more

Joby says early U.S. air taxi operations could begin in 2026 under a federal pilot program. As a founder, seeing a company move from testing toward pilots highlights three practical priorities for hardware-first startups: align early with regulators and operators, build repeatable operational processes rather than one-off prototypes, and engage local communities to earn social license. Planning a pilot? Send me a message. #aviation https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/joby-says-us-air-taxi-operations-could-begin-in-2026-under-white-house-program …more

I read "Santa Cruz is not Silicon Valley (and we don't want to be.)" and it landed for me. From launching startups and local programs I've learned you can build world-class companies while staying rooted in the place and values that matter. Practical moves that helped teams here: get customer feedback early, hire flexibly to keep local talent, run small paid pilots, and build mentor networks. Send me a message. https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/santa-cruz-is-not-silicon-valley-and-we-dont-want-to-be …more

UCSC's Innovation Catalyst program is advancing multi-virus diagnostics and energy-efficient electronics. From my experience launching startups and partnering with research labs, translating breakthroughs into products requires three focused actions: validate the clinical or market need early; align engineering and commercialization roadmaps; secure pilots that surface real-world constraints. If you lead a startup or university program navigating that path, send me a message to compare notes. #innovation https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/ucsc-research-drives-breakthroughs …more