Subtracting superfluous energy.


Removing excess light.


Entering the void.

Those ideas resonate with us at ValleyZen.

So, in harmony with millions of others in 25 cities around the world, at 8pm we’re shutting down—for one hour…

Retailers and publishers are perturbed at Google over a new feature “Search within Site” (SiS). Why have so many web feathers been ruffled? Google has offered this functionality for at least 7 years, but a larger audience is only just now becoming aware and in some cases upset by it. Why’s that?

Ever wanted a great example of the impact that Zen-like, intuitive, experiential user interaction design can make? Here it is…

The Transformation of Tangible to Intangible

Sixty years ago the value of productivity and wealth was determined by the value of the tangible property you made or possessed…In the 1960’s that all began to change. Information technology was silently converting tangible property to the intangible with the value of the intangible determined by the value of the intelligence it contained and not the tangible property. Resources consumed and standards of living were going to be highly impacted. A personal story that illustrates…

NBC 11’s TechNow! Host Scott Budman knows the value of eliminating clutter on & off the air. Want to get on TV? Be Zen! “I’ve gotten to know some of the CEOS, analysts and individuals who are really going to give the good soundbites. I seek those people out who…”

Scott Budman on:

• Interviewing the Valley’s major players & covering the big tech stories.
• ValleyZen as the “work-life balance” of successful CEOs and journalists.
• Transforming a 90 minute tape into a 1 minute story.
• Inside look at Silicon Valley’s NBC 11 – the first news station to do live on the air “texting” to talent.
• Shooting a hi-tech blog video interview in a traditional TV studio!
Keep Reading

“A microcosm is contained within a tea bowl.”

In Silicon Valley, a microcosm is contained within a Persian rug. This is the story of Pejman Nozad and 323 University Avenue – where a world of influential ideas came out of his Persian rug.

Pejman’s good karma began with a University Avenue Persian rug store–the Medallion Rug Gallery. The business prospered and soon his acumen led him to purchase office space down the street at 165 University Avenue. He rented the space to start-ups in exchange for equity. Google, PayPal and Danger…

Episode 4 of Tim Draper VC Samurai is being released today! From machine guns to music, this episode has it all. Tim Draper and Drue get a nerf machine gun demo from DFJ’s Warren Packard. A shootout in the DFJ offices ensues – Duck! Then, Drue performs a shakuhachi improvisation for Tim in his office. And the grand finale –Tim surprises Drue with a Samurai Flip…

Minutes ago, TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington posted a less than flattering post on Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop. (To learn more about Alltop, check out the video interview I did with Guy on the eve of the launch of Alltop beta.) TechCrunch has removed the post, as twitterers and bloggers…

One way of viewing the discussions about content generation at Stanford’s weekend Legal Futures Conference is a struggle between two forces. One force wishes to use technology to make traditional media more productive without disintermediation, substitution or decentralization of content delivery. The other force is attempting to remove the throttle traditional media has on information distribution, while also revolutionizing the content delivery processes, mechanisms and values. The principal factor in this…

Yesterday we attended the Legal Futures Conference at Stanford University. A fiery debate erupted between Prof. Larry Lessig and Andrew Keen about Professional vs. User-Generated Content (UGC). Lessig believes that UGC is the future and that legal changes should be made to facilitate its growth. Open the floodgates and see if old media can compete! Keen argues that UGC produces massive amounts of low-quality content whose credibility can’t be relied on, and it clutters the public domain. Keen is nostalgic for…

Check out today’s satori-inducing video with Fred Turner – Stanford Professor, acclaimed author, and expert in Silicon Valley counterculture. He says, “The distance between the Grateful Dead and Google, between Ken Kesey and the computer is not as great as we might think.” Zen takes center stage as Turner shows its powerful influence from early cyberculture to today’s Valley. Watch Turner trace the Valley’s direct lineage from the cyber-pioneers who were also think partners with Zen…