The agnosticism Karp refers to is cultural, slightly than religious. However like Trae Stephens, he believes the tech sector has been too targeted on fixing trivial issues and ignoring probably the most urgent problems with society. The issue, Karp argued, might be solved by rebuilding the USA from the bottom up as a technological republic. (Presumably, that would come with Palantir promoting its expertise to the federal government.)
The Bay Space, the place Silicon Valley is nested, has lengthy been a haven for progressive values and is usually perceived to be largely agnostic or atheistic. Its prevailing rich-hippie vibes are properly documented, with tech staff turning to biohacking, psychedelics, Burning Man, and Esalen retreats as types of introspection and self-discovery.
These pastimes aren’t more likely to wane in reputation anytime quickly, however for some folks, the ACTS 17 Collective presents an alternate neighborhood, one combining tech startup tradition with fervent religion.
“I’ve labored in Silicon Valley since 2005, and my preliminary impression was that it was anti-Valley to speak about faith and perception techniques,” Nate Williams, a startup entrepreneur and investor who attended the occasion final week, advised WIRED afterward. “However now it’s changing into extra normalized to put on it in your sleeve,” he says, a pattern he attributes partly to folks in search of neighborhood after the pandemic.
At some moments through the occasion, the dual themes of labor and faith have been so commingled that it was onerous to make a distinction between the 2: Is figure the brand new faith, because it has been and ever shall be in Silicon Valley? Or does faith provide a unique framework for the way folks ought to take into consideration what constitutes significant work?
“Once you get into the startup world—there are some issues in life you could be informal about, however most likely work isn’t one thing you could be informal about and have success, do you agree?” Ben Pilgreen, founding pastor of the nondenominational Christian Epic Church in San Francisco and the Stephens’ pastor, stated to the gang. “The themes raised tonight don’t appear to be one thing you could be informal about.” (Epic Church’s attendance has been steadily rising over the previous a number of months, Pilgreen stated in a latest interview with the SF Normal.)
After the discuss, attendees swarmed the Stephens couple, thanking them for the dialogue and asking questions on future occasions. One attendee advised WIRED he’s now serious about visiting Pilgreen’s Epic Church and attending its dinner sequence, which, like the home of worship, has a startup-worthy title: Alpha.
