Reflections on SF TechWeek 2025

What an amazing #SFTechWeek this has been! Had the privilege to attend most of the DeepTech and Physical AI events Some of the biggest takeaways from the week below 👇 === The Inflection Point === AI’s leap is driven by three converging forces: * Exponential compute beyond Moore’s Law (horizontal scaling via data centers). * Breakthroughs in GenAI + multimodal models enabling perception and control in the physical world. * Real-world pressure from labor shortages and reshoring. Energy — not chips — is emerging as the true bottleneck for scaling AI. Simulation accelerates iteration, but real-world data is the unlock for embodied intelligence. The Physical AI Stack is converging: sustainable energy → compute → data pipelines → robots. Until standards form, investors are backing end-to-end vertical systems; expect M&A and consolidation as interoperability improves. === From Labs to the Real World — Adoption & Culture === Cultural readiness beats technical readiness. Scaling from one factory to many fails when internal champions aren’t in place to sell ROI and replicate wins. Knowledge preservation matters. Veteran operators carry tacit data — “the smell, the sound” — that AI systems now aim to model. Reshoring + sustainability = new capacity. Automation is reducing labor arbitrage and enabling localized, distributed manufacturing. === Broader Reflections === Energy + Compute + Hardware + Software + Data are fusing into one Physical AI stack. The best opportunities sit where physical constraints meet digital leverage — logistics, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure. Ecosystems > point solutions. Interoperability will be the next competitive moat. ROI > novelty. Adoption happens when robots solve “must-do” problems. Sustainability isn’t a side story — it’s becoming the foundation for performance and cost advantage. === Favorite quotes from the week === 🧠 “We’re not at the end of Moore’s Law — we’re in the sequel.” 🤖 “You don’t need humanoids. You need automation that works.” 💡 “Customer love is the ultimate moat.” 😅 “The best companies don’t have customers — they have hostages.” --- Great to see both new and familiar faces including: Simon Lancaster 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇵🇹, Sabrina Paseman, Maxwell Wang, Ye Wang, Andrew Chen, Kevin Wu, Ghonhee Lee, Dr. Anika Stein, Webber Xu, Jim Zhu, David Sokolic, Sumay Parikh, Martin C., Bhavik N., Marco Marinucci, Megan Cain, Riley Rodgers, Iris Lee, Dave Anderson, Francesco Favaro, Clinton Smith, Ayush B Shah, Hasan Sukkar, Deep Patel, Phil Shea, Aanjanaye Kajaria, Clinton Smith, Max Myer, Brandon Barbello and others! #PhysicalAI #DeepTech