Sarah Drinkwater

ON EMOTION, FAITH AND DIRECTION - It is the haunted intersection of technology and the liberal arts. And it’s finally a hill I am willing to die on… I think there’s a hidden power in reaching something you’re willing to fail with. I’ve never seen that written about. But I’ve reached it, and that feels like a new type of signal to me.

ON NY SCENIUS -

NYC has produced really great technology wins, yes. But it has failed to create a win that truly structures the surrounding NYC technology scene.

By this I mean a consumer facing win, where technology is at the center, instead of the related industry pulls around it. NYC tech is often defined by our relationship to other industries, as we have such a diverse business ecosystem that holds the promise of our melting pot. Finance, retail, real estate, music, consulting, the list goes on.

But the harsh reality is this — Tumblr didn’t do what it needed to do, FourSquare didn’t do what it needed to do, Giphy didn’t do what it needed to do, WeWork is a failure, BlueApron is a failure…

And now the scene has grown as a function of Google owning half of Chelsea and several Facebook buildings. But WHO ARE WEEEEEEEEEEEE

The first consumer technology win, born and raised in NYC will get to actually determine that. The same way Google and Facebook have in the broader valley. I’ve believed this since 2016 when I started working at Rough Draft Ventures, and continually forced the issue in 2017 when I moved to NYC after school despite being told it would ruin my career to not go to SF.

Recently Verci launched a campaign about powerful innovations in cultural hubs, and the vision of their Soho co-working space for NYC Tech. While I like Verci, I do think it misses some pretty core things. They point to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Google at Stanford…

I would argue that Kennedy is a sort of anti-environment. Similar to Los Almos… it’s the isolation of incredible people towards a superhuman mission. Google at Stanford is an interesting reference as well. While I wouldn’t call Stanford an anti-environment, universities do hold a clear inner-outer dynamic through campus culture that I think is really unique. And calls to mind Campus Complex.

What is clear is the shared vision for NYC Tech to be something more. Something new. Something equally ambitious. And there are projects ranging from Verci to Terminal to WeBuildOurIdeas, that are all stoking the communal fire. I think these will actually all come together in unique ways to both collaborate and challenge each other in 2024.