Software Bar, Part 1

Monday, October 24, 1994 by Dave Winer.

I have some business to do with Mr. or Ms. SoAndSo from ThisAndThat Corp. It'll take about 20 minutes. Too little to do for dinner or lunch. Let's do a few drinks. Where to go? Hmmm.

If we were at an industry conference, the answer is simple. Meet at the pool, after dinner. Do our business, then go back to the bar and schmooze til dawn.

Where is the Silicon Valley watering hole? Where to go to see and be seen? Steal ideas. Spread rumors. Telegraph your needs.

I hear that Hollywood has countless watering holes. Where the stars and producers, directors, studio execs, screen writers and agents all mingle.

Silicon Valley has Il Fornaio in Palo Alto and Siam Garden in Menlo Park. But neither spot has really reached critical mass yet.

The ideal: I want to go to the spot alone on a Wednesday night, do a bunch of good business, get some ideas, flirt a little, matchmake, stir up some trouble, have fun!

Agenda 95 this year was a great experience for me, and I gather, for quite a few other people. So much nice business to do! The question -- why can't we have that kind of schmoozing opportunity more often than 3 nights out of 365? And why do we have to go to all the way to Phoenix to gossip about the software biz?

Proposal: let's actually have a party season this party season. I'll throw an industry party. You do one too. Let's talk. Let's find the social pulse of Silicon Valley! (Please don't say there isn't one, I don't want to move to Berkeley yet.)

Part 2 -- coming soon -- what kind of software does the software bar run?

Dave Winer