Silicon Knight (#TheCastle) | +18 | BWWM - Billionaire Book

01://Welcome to Disrupt Erupt Conference

The Disrupt Erupt Conference on the top two floors of Hibernia Heron Tower Observatory. Late spring in San Francisco, California wasn't as hot as it should have been. But on the 99th floor of the Hibernia tower a chill moved through my body as I gazed out on the busy room. Even a slight heat couldn't pierce the glacial air conditioning of the tower. Bustling people fill the busy room with people brushing against my shoulder. Racing to the next new tech toy as filled with joy as any kid at the toy store.

A lady with a large H on her Prada dress shirt passes out a swag bag full of tech goodies. Next to her collar was a tiny badge with her name on it and the store number eight. The Heron stores' high-tech approach wasn't like other tech companies. The difference wasn't simply aesthetics; it went right down to the employees level.

Most tech companies I've ever run across mask what they are about. When you go to an Apple store, they always try to seem relatable in t-shirts and jeans. Visiting a Google campus or google pop-up stores, it's hoodies and sweatpants. It appeared like after their work hours were ending they would go directly to sleep. It's as if the multi-billion dollar tech companies want to ape real normal people. It's broke people cosplay. The tech companies make more money than most countries on the planet. And in a sense playing Kabuki theater normies so you don't get turned off and buy the next gadget. That they aren't flirting with a modern day monopoly harkening back to bygone ages. A neo-gilded age that our generation has lived in. And maybe you won't notice that they are essentially techno-robber barons. With all the ethics of that old age, socialize the losses and privatize their gains. It's like no, don't look at us. We're still that, you're getting a dell kid from the 90s who got caught smoking weed. Nothing to see here, just normal business nuvo hipster bullshit.

But Heron wasn't like that fake normie stuff. The employees right down to the retail stores loudly wore designer clothes. They didn't bother with the fake out friendly appearances as other companies do. It was almost like Heron was telling you that they were lions without an inch of remorse about it. Instead of trying to pass themselves off as kittens. And if you are in the business of eating us bunnies, I'd rather you be honest about it, all things concerned.

I didn't feel comfortable in this room full of fast moving people. Normally, my day is filled with picking, planting, and planning for the next harvest. For most of our small food company my best friend Toni has handled most of this. I was simply Akeisha the farmer, and she pulled off the business money movies. My eyes, restlessly scanning the plush room, I was outside my comfort zone. The room was filled to bursting with people. And my disjointed thought process rattled my nerves. Bless my best friend's heart she drew me into a halted conversation.

Toni and I talked together more and our conversation smoothed out. Then we took our place backstage from the busy hall of people getting goodies. Our Conversation wasn't about anything important but I was thankful for her attempt to settle my nerves. She described one of the heifers' cows mounting another because we were late to put the bulls in, it was too much. She caught it for the tiktok I couldn't help laughing with her. T did a quiet "moo," in an impression of the randy heifers. That laughter drew attention from the other finalists backstage. A guy in one of those preppy business casual styles with a big, fat, golden Yale pin in his lapel. He raises his eyebrows at us like we are kids at the library being loud. Then he goes back to talking to his crowd of eager listeners turning his back on us.

"Ninety percent of startups fail within the first three years. I was offered a buyout, and joined Heron," he said with all the smug self-assuredness of someone who knew money. That old money, the kind of money that knows the stock market will always be bailed out. Meanwhile, everyone else's life not rich burns up. It was a smile and manner I knew well from college and my internship. I was working my own farming business and going to college. Then at the same time as working for free at that established tech company taught me well. His lanyard marked him as the same company as the woman passing out the swag bags. Heron Inc, bought him out. The green band on his lanyard matched the green band on both of our lanyards. Damn, he was in the same category as us green tech. "It was logical," he smiled. "I'm taking it directly after the contest as soon as possible."