ValleyZen - At the Intersection of Zen, Modern Life and Technology

Check out this video conversation with ValleyZen co-bloggers Drue Kataoka and Bill Fenwick. The video takes place outside and inside the Fenwick & West headquarters. In the video Bill and Drue talk about why ZEN and the Valley go together so well. Highlights include:

• Bill on achieving Zen Calm
• Litigation, Zen & Peace
• Zen and the Valley
• About Bill’s old blog
• Bill’s goals for ValleyZen
• The Power of Zen Silence

The ValleyZen video is here or embedded below.
Checkout this ValleyZen Flickr photoset…

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Today ValleyZen was featured on ABC-TV’s View from the Bay.

Watch the View from the Bay segment.

View photos from today’s interview.

The executive producers asked Drue to talk about…

For Barack Obama’s campaign, the Zen surprise came out of the negative space. In the art of Sumi-e, the negative space (the white space between the brush strokes) is as important as the brush strokes themselves. This is what holds the painting together and makes it take shape and meaning. For the Obama campaign, the ebony-inked brush strokes are Obama himself. The negative space is the countless campaign contributors, supporters and activists who have found meaning and identity in his campaign. They are the ones that have created the surprise…

It’s been an exciting two months for ValleyZen.com. Since launch the blog has been:

• Featured on the home page of CNET News
• At the top of the Science & Technology page of leading Italian paper Corriere della Sera
• Covered by CBS Sci & Tech Correspondent Daniel Sieberg for a nationally syndicated radio segment
• Written up on the CBS TechTalk Blog.
• Feature article in CalLaw.com THE RECORDER.
• Invited as a guest on ABC KGO-TV’s View from the Bay…

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…