# trip to San Francisco

> From anton's newsletter · 2026-09-30
> https://anton.tinysend.com/trip-to-san-francisco-np3zrn82

Hi everyone,

Just came back to Europe after 6 weeks in NYC and SF.

Wrote some reflections here: https://podviaznikov.com/writings/san-francisco-mindset

It's fascinating how much energy can get sucked out after being around people who don't care or don't know much about life, people, tech etc.

I've spent time with my friends who love tinkering, experimenting, making software and tools for people, and who care about all the details and experiences (user, developer, etc.).

I had tons of reflections about my profession and tech in general after spending too much time surrounded by bureaucracy, mediocrity and a lack of care.

Clarifying my beliefs and reaffirming them by spending time with people who share them is very powerful and makes me happy.

So I'm back to building more and better products. I want to do the best work of my career. It does feel like the best things I can personally do are still to come.

The best professional validation for me is still feedback from my peers (can they trust me and rely on me) and from my customers (do they like what I do for them).

PS If you are in London or Warsaw in the next 4 months, do ping me.

Anton