A van is parked in front of a nondescript garage. The van is going to ruin the photos. Despite appearances, this is a special garage – 2066 Crist Drive is Steve Jobs’ childhood home and the birthplace of Apple.
Fanboy
I was an Apple fanboy in my teenage years. In those days, as a freelance web designer, I would mimic Apple’s aesthetics – sleek fonts, white background, and a minimalistic design. The very first version of this blog even had a working Mac OS X dock.
I was also obsessed with the iPod; so much so that I built a web app of an iPod that plays one song on repeat – Engelbert Humperdinck’s Quando, Quando, Quando. Years later, I succumbed to the obsession and bought a 3rd generation iPod with wages from writing for a local newspaper.
Yes, I would have done better financially had I invested in Apple shares but it would have been a desire not fulfilled.
Silicon Valley
My pilgrimage to Silicon Valley is a long-time coming. Life got in the way. And now a van is in the way of a good photo op at one of the holy sites. But as one door closes, a garage door opens. As luck would have it, the garage door is wide ajar, offering glimpses into the space where Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built the first Apple computers 48 years ago.
From its humble beginnings, Apple has grown into a behemoth. It now occupies a futuristic circular building in nearby Cupertino. Apple’s story exemplifies Silicon Valley – the collaboration between high agency individuals, the can-do spirit, the ability to disrupt industries, and the resilience to bounce back from setbacks.
There have been – and there will be more – attempts to replicate Silicon Valley in other regions. Some have had successes but none has matched the scale and impact of the original. Silicon Valley has a combination of factors that’s simply not present elsewhere.
Thoughts on innovation
Garages, in particular, are sacred in the Silicon Valley lore. Buying into the myth with hopes to spur innovation, numerous companies have set up “digital garages” or innovation centres, creating an AI, blockchain and other tech-flavours-of-the-month-focused teams. When integrated with the core business, digital garages work well as they solve genuine business problems. When operating in a silo, away from the real work, digital garages languish.
My own personal bias favours a grassroots-led innovation strategy i.e. giving teams on the ground the training, tools, and more importantly, the incentive to adopt technology to do things faster, better, and cheaper.
Personal reflections
After taking photos of the unassuming garage, I make my way to other Silicon Valley shrines. The journey to these tech temples fulfils a life-long interest in technology. This pilgrimage isn’t just about visiting famous locations – It’s about looking for inspiration. What’s my version of the Apple garage? What am I truly passionate about and want to spend my waking days doing?
If Silicon Valley teaches anything, it’s that it takes little to start working on big ideas.
The bottom line: Silicon Valley is a treat for someone passionate about technology. Visiting the humble garages and the sprawling tech campuses will stir in you a drive to do meaningful work.