On this day in 2015, I was walking through San Francisco in the evening, heading back to my hotel after a conference, energized by new ideas. I passed a bar with a sign: “Do Epic Shit.” It captured the spirit of my Silicon Valley trip and became my mantra for years. Back then, at the height of the mobile revolution and crypto hype, it symbolized an unstoppable founder spirit: building cool products, being visible and disrupting the world.
I recently brought that phrase back as my screen background. Today, however, it has an extended meaning for me.
“Epic” now includes more than ever responsibility. Business is never neutral, and technology shapes society. I still believe in technology’s power to change the world for the better, but only if we think more deeply, act braver, and stop blindly chasing the next hype.
So yes, Do Epic Shit, but do it right.