lmdm
01–14–25
light mode dark mode
stepping into the alien world of san francisco
San Francisco is the tech capital of the United States, and thus, it has some quirks.
First of all, it’s not quite a democracy.
First of all, it’s not quite a democracy.
Figurehead mayor, glimpses of a city council... we’ve basically reverted to the age of oligarchy—just swap medieval castles for tech campuses with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and complimentary coffee bars.
Among the noble families of this modern-day feudal system, Y Combinator is probably the most influential. Mostly all of the insanely cracked, capitalistically-bullish tech bros I know were pulled here by YC's orange glow, whether they were accepted into the program or not.
By the way, "tech bros," isn’t meant to be a generalist bash on all tech entrepreneurs or capitalism. I believe both are good (with the reservation that they don't devolve into autocratic oligarchy tho). But hey, my job is computer so these are my people.
But let's get back to the original plot by highlighting the singular oligarchic figure that towers over the whole of silicon valley; someone whose social and economic influence is hard to fully comprehend.
Among the noble families of this modern-day feudal system, Y Combinator is probably the most influential. Mostly all of the insanely cracked, capitalistically-bullish tech bros I know were pulled here by YC's orange glow, whether they were accepted into the program or not.
By the way, "tech bros," isn’t meant to be a generalist bash on all tech entrepreneurs or capitalism. I believe both are good (with the reservation that they don't devolve into autocratic oligarchy tho). But hey, my job is computer so these are my people.
But let's get back to the original plot by highlighting the singular oligarchic figure that towers over the whole of silicon valley; someone whose social and economic influence is hard to fully comprehend.
Elon Musk is the semi-tyranical keeper of x.com.
I do like twitter though, I think it's cool. But I had no idea how important it was until I got to SF. In SF, 10k followers on twitter is equivalent to about 100k on instagram and 500K on TikTok. If you have a million, consider yourself a member of the court.
But honestly I kinda like this quirk: being largely text-based, one of twitter's strengths is communicating thoughts and ideas in a more straight-forward way. And if there's one thing that pleases the tech bros, it's optimization. A fact that became omni-present during the highly-publicized Musk takeover of 2022 (no more of this, no more of that type shit).
For the purposes of this essay, I'd like to focus on one of those optimized features of twitter: the singular 'link in bio' offered to users.
As opposed to instagram and youtube which all give you the power to put an entire list of links on your profile, twitter gives you one. And it's not tucked away by any means; it's a primary element of the profile.
Most tech people use twitter to sell their ideas, and every tweet funnels back to your link: your call to action. So if you're not selling a product... then you really only have one choice:
But honestly I kinda like this quirk: being largely text-based, one of twitter's strengths is communicating thoughts and ideas in a more straight-forward way. And if there's one thing that pleases the tech bros, it's optimization. A fact that became omni-present during the highly-publicized Musk takeover of 2022 (no more of this, no more of that type shit).
For the purposes of this essay, I'd like to focus on one of those optimized features of twitter: the singular 'link in bio' offered to users.
As opposed to instagram and youtube which all give you the power to put an entire list of links on your profile, twitter gives you one. And it's not tucked away by any means; it's a primary element of the profile.
Most tech people use twitter to sell their ideas, and every tweet funnels back to your link: your call to action. So if you're not selling a product... then you really only have one choice:
a personal website.
Besides twitter followers, I believe the coolness of your personal website is the primary form of social currency among tech plebians.
It makes sense though: every other form of social media is highly formulated and regulated by the creator of the given app. A personal website is your corner of the internet, unmarred by the monotonous agenda of the oligarchy.
So, in a sense, your personal website is you: the clearest reflection of your ability to create something from nothing.
It makes sense though: every other form of social media is highly formulated and regulated by the creator of the given app. A personal website is your corner of the internet, unmarred by the monotonous agenda of the oligarchy.
So, in a sense, your personal website is you: the clearest reflection of your ability to create something from nothing.
So...
are you minimalist?
are you colorful?
are you full of projects? art?
are you a designer? a developer? or both?
are you a template? made from scratch?
how many blogs have you written? how long have you been writing blogs?
have you transferred at least 90% of your brain into a user interface?
and last, but certainly not least...
do you have dark mode?
I can't recall the number of times i've heard one of my friends become ecstatic because they finally added 'dark mode' to their product, knighting it as a 'real product' (but it's a lot of times).
Something about whether or not you spend the extra time to inverse every color, and add a button is the true measure of strength, resilience, and most of all... runway.
Having dark mode signals that you are detail oriented, have the money and time to execute on it, and more importantly... that you get it. Dark mode is the ultimate digital form of quiet luxury.
If you're a transplant like me, this might sound like a strange thing to be considered luxurious, but trust me, it is. And during my year of living in and out of SF, I've identified other markers of this tech-centric quiet luxury:
Something about whether or not you spend the extra time to inverse every color, and add a button is the true measure of strength, resilience, and most of all... runway.
Having dark mode signals that you are detail oriented, have the money and time to execute on it, and more importantly... that you get it. Dark mode is the ultimate digital form of quiet luxury.
If you're a transplant like me, this might sound like a strange thing to be considered luxurious, but trust me, it is. And during my year of living in and out of SF, I've identified other markers of this tech-centric quiet luxury:
Equator coffee in hand
Tesla in the driveway
Bonsai on the desk
Third language in progress
Giant second monitor (extra points if it covers up your windows)
A dog of either the French Bulldog, Golden Doodle, Golden Retriever, or Portuguese Water Dog variety
These are just the few that I've noticed, but there are countless more I've yet to fully grasp. Coming from a starkly rural community this world still feels fascinatingly alien. Back then, I had no imperative to acquire/build cool shit—all that mattered was getting good enough grades to escape.
Or at least, that's what I thought.
Looking back now, I regret that mindset quite a lot. Getting a bit older and being surrounded by people dedicating their lives to refining their crafts and creating original works, putting intention and care into every detail of their lifestyle made me realize that's what I want too.
It’s not about the money (though of course it has to be acknowledged that money is the main reason why these ‘quirks’ can devolve into pretentiousness with the wrong intention), it’s about what you choose to do with the time, resources, and taste that you have.
I only wish that I’d cared more, sooner: that I followed my inner child to make something weird and different and wonderful, instead of suppressing it in favor of academic validation.
I wish I had always looked for little corners of my life to add dark mode—not because it’s a flex (ik it still kind of is lol), but because it shows you care enough to go the extra mile and exhaust your creative potential.
Add dark mode, and rainbow mode, add this feature, build that extension, etc…
Or at least, that's what I thought.
Looking back now, I regret that mindset quite a lot. Getting a bit older and being surrounded by people dedicating their lives to refining their crafts and creating original works, putting intention and care into every detail of their lifestyle made me realize that's what I want too.
It’s not about the money (though of course it has to be acknowledged that money is the main reason why these ‘quirks’ can devolve into pretentiousness with the wrong intention), it’s about what you choose to do with the time, resources, and taste that you have.
I only wish that I’d cared more, sooner: that I followed my inner child to make something weird and different and wonderful, instead of suppressing it in favor of academic validation.
I wish I had always looked for little corners of my life to add dark mode—not because it’s a flex (ik it still kind of is lol), but because it shows you care enough to go the extra mile and exhaust your creative potential.
Add dark mode, and rainbow mode, add this feature, build that extension, etc…
There are a lot of flaws in our little oligarchic peninsula. But what else can you expect from a small city that's attracted some of the world's most vibrant and eccentric characters: extreme and outrageous ideas are always in the air. Some I despise, while others I’ve woven into a personal philosophy that has reshaped my the course of my life.
So I guess I love this little city with all its highs and lows. I love waking up every day and being inspired, and even expected to build something original. I love failing and I love succeeding when I try to make new things. I love my little life here and all of the incredible, vivacious, ambitious, ingenuitive tech bros in it.
And I love the personal website that after a full year of tinkering around with various ideas, starting side projects and chasing after shiny objects, I finally decided to compile and ship.
Want to see my digital reflection? Check it out at brinleekidd.com.
lmk if u think it's cool lol (and follow me on twitter pls)
ty for reading :]