Bill Fenwick and Drue Kataoka on ValleyZen.com – VIDEO

7 Comments so far

1. @ThomasHan 04.20.08 at 10:11 am

   Drue – Thanks for the interview with Bill. Rare to hear him talk and share his insights.

2. Leslie 04.21.08 at 6:41 pm

   I really liked Bill’s point about how zen doesn’t mean ignoring schedules, and etc. etc. This is so true, especially when it comes to technology. You can easily tell when someone is using the idea as a license to slack off. A very simple web site, for example, doesn’t look zen or clean, it looks unprofessional. Electronic equipment or web sites that we do think of as zen are so deceptively complicated. But, “deceptive” isn’t quite right, as the real point is the way that the object’s complexities flow into a simple, user-friendly visage.

   Thanks for the video!!

3. borcho 04.22.08 at 8:00 pm

   Drue, thanks for posting another interesting interview.

4. Svelozar Kazanjiev 04.22.08 at 11:39 pm

   A fascinating look into the mind of one of the builders of the Valley!

   It was interesting to hear Bill’s perspective on Zen as “non-litigation” (collaborative vs. confrontational, calm and harmonious vs. strenuous). There’s a clear a parallel between Silicon Valley lawyers and another group who found in Zen a break from their everyday confrontational existence– the Samurai.
   On the flip side, Bill eloquently spoke about the Zen core value of litigation– finding a resolution– before The Recorder.

   It seems that Zen comes naturally for Bill. I’d love to hear more about the ways in which his thinking/perspective has changed, if at all, as a result of authoring a (Valley) Zen blog.

5. Costa Casasbuenas 04.25.08 at 4:50 am

   Dear Drue and Bill,
   Thanks for using the interview to share Bill’s reflections and insights. Though it is clear that several of them are coming from the intersection between Bill’s professional experiences in the Valley as a lawyer, some of the elements presented keep resonating deeply in my own experience:
   - Zen and innovation as a strong source to chose things I want to be involved with
   - Natural unforced call to collaboration and commonality, which become force
   - Pulling together as a way to overcome divisiveness

   A couple of days ago it happened I went to listen to Buena Vista Social Club, who were visiting Oxford. As soon as we began to listen the music from Cachaito López, Guajiro Mirabal and all other ‘virtuosos’ of Afro-Caribbean music, your interview Bill came to mind: the idea of you as a ‘virtuoso’ sharing your music and inspiration and instruments.

   Thanks for the concert,

   Costa

6. Drue Kataoka 04.25.08 at 5:14 am

   @ Leslie – interesting word choice of “visage” in the context of the importance of Zen inter(faces).

   @ Borcho – thanks for tuning in.

   @ Svetlozar – Bill has more amazing reflections on Zen and litigation in upcoming videos. Stay tuned.

   @ Costa – I like the trio of thoughts you’ve pulled from the video. I agree it’s powerful how Bill’s Zen/Valley reflections resonate with people from different professional backgrounds. Thank you so much for sharing.

   Your Buena Vista Social Club concert analogy is very much in the spirit of ValleyZen. We will try to keep a great blog clave and tumbaos going.

7. Bill Fenwick 04.25.08 at 9:04 am

   Svetlozar,

   It is too soon to catalog changes in perspective. One observation can be offered. Web 2.0 puts “viral” on steroids. Whether it will adversely affect the credibility of viral as a method of information distribution remains to be seen.

   Zen increases the positive and is not in tension with the speed of transactions.

   Thank you for your comment.

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