5 Nights in San Francisco: Why the World’s Smartest Minds Still Flock Here

When I landed in San Francisco for a short five-night stay, I wasn’t sure what I would take away from it. The city has a reputation that swings between extremes. High rents, tech wealth, protests, and fog. But after walking its streets, spending time in cafés, and attending different events, I began to see why it continues to attract some of the smartest builders in the world.

1. The Weather That Fuels Walks and Ideas

The first thing that hit me was the weather. It was comfortable every day, neither too hot nor too cold. This may sound like a small detail, but it changes how the city works. People meet outdoors, they walk between conversations, and ideas flow in places that don’t feel restricted.

It made me realise why so many meetings here happen while walking or sitting in open cafés. The weather itself makes it easy to think and talk without distraction.

2. The Tech Capital: Where Giants and Rebels Co-Exist

The density of tech companies and people working on ambitious projects is everywhere. In one part of the city, you pass offices of companies like OpenAI, Google, Uber, and Salesforce. A train ride takes you to Cupertino or Palo Alto where Apple and HP once set the foundation for everything that followed.

Even if a company fails, the ecosystem around you makes it possible to try again quickly. The network of talent and investors is that strong. It is one of the main reasons the city stays unique.

3. Conversations in Cafés

One of my most memorable meetings happened at Saint Frank Coffee. I met Ruslan Nikonchuk, the founder of Permit.io. We sat there for almost two hours talking about what he was building and exchanging our own ideas. It did not feel like a formal meeting. It was just two people with coffee, sharing openly, and that simplicity is what stood out.

This is how San Francisco works. You do not always need a big event or a formal pitch. Sometimes it is just sitting in a café, talking, and realising how much energy and ambition you can pick up from the person in front of you.

4. Events Every Night

After that café meeting, I went to a Caffeine event where I met Pierre Samaties, the CBO of Dfinity. We had a detailed discussion about what they were working on and the direction they were taking. Later, I attended the Engineering Night hosted by Dust. That evening I met people like Gian Segato from Replit, Jules Belveze from Dust, and Kriti Goyal from Apple. Each of them spoke about their work with clarity, and every conversation felt relevant.

What struck me most was how much you can learn just by being in the same room. You are surrounded by people who are at the top of their fields, yet willing to share and listen. And almost every event ended the same way: with pizza and Diet Coke. It was casual, but it brought everyone together under one roof. That mix of informality and intensity is rare.

5. The Spirit of Openness

The one thing I kept noticing was how people here listen. Even if your idea is small or still unclear, people do not dismiss it. They ask questions, they get curious, they want to understand. That openness creates room for experimentation.

San Francisco has always had this culture, whether it was counterculture movements decades ago or the rise of the internet and now AI. Today it is still the same. You can walk into a café, attend an event, or join a small dinner and you will find people willing to give space to ideas.

Closing Reflection: Why SF Still Matters

In five nights, I understood why San Francisco continues to attract ambitious people. It is the combination of weather, density of talent, constant events, café culture, and openness.

For me, the most striking part was the access. In just a few days, I met founders, executives, engineers, and creatives, all willing to talk and share. And all of it ended with simple moments — pizza, Diet Coke, and conversations that you cannot replicate anywhere else.

That is why the city still matters.