Truly important innovations often appear as toys or fringe ideas initially, and the most interesting ventures can't find the edge of the intellectual conversation.
Garry Tan explains that the most significant breakthroughs often come from 'fringe weirdo punks' pursuing obsessions that seem like toys, citing the history of personal computing. ✦ AI generated
Garry Tan · a16z Podcast · 2026-08-12 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 5:08
“You know, on one hand maybe it was despondent 20 years ago. It's crazy to think that was just 23 years ago that you're talking about. Um, now you think we would all be incredibly elated, yet there's this undercurrent.”
I think Chris Dixon talks about this all the time where, um, you know, you're in the idea maze, but you know, the cool parts of the idea maze are like the weird fringe parts, actually. It's always like, uh, what is a toy? Like and that's the pattern in Silicon Valley over and over again that bears repeating, right?... Like the idea that you could have a computer on every desk in every home... the people who created that thing, they were fringe weirdo punks, actually.
verbatim transcript · starts at 5:08
4:48Silicon Valley today. You know, on one hand maybe it was despondent 20 years ago. It's crazy to think that was just 23 years ago that you're talking about. Um, now you think we would all be incredibly elated, yet there's this undercurrent. Maybe it's the LARPing thing that you mentioned. You know, it's being outside of the light cone, the permanent underclass. Where does that come from? Do you think there's any
5:08truth in it? Talk through that. >> I mean, I get it. Like there's just more competition than ever. And then, um, I think maybe it's just that we're spending too much time in distribution. I think Chris Dixon talks about this all the time where, um, you know, you're in the idea maze, but you know, the cool parts of the idea maze are like the weird fringe parts,
5:31actually. It's always like, uh, what is a toy? Like and that's the pattern in Silicon Valley over and over again that bears repeating, right? >> Yes. >> Like the idea that you could have a computer on every desk in every home. >> Yeah. >> Uh, today is like, of course, like that's what's come to pass. But >> the people who created that thing, they were fringe weirdo punks, actually.
5:52>> Yes. >> Uh >> They were outsiders. I mean, Homebrew Computer Club was not where you were getting laid. >> Yeah. That's right. >> [laughter] >> You You just were like following this weird obsession that, you know, actually I want my own computer. >> And I think Chris has said this, too. I think a good measure of how interesting the thing is is can you find the edge?
6:10>> Mhm. >> And for the most interesting things, you typically can't. Even if you find the edge of the conversation, you can't find the intellectual edge. Which I think is a very good sign. I mean, I had this growing up in the '80s, maybe you had this, too. There was sort of one way to be cool in grade school, and probably in high school, and maybe when you got to
6:26college, you kind of found your people. And now I think one of the miracles of being internet native generation is that people find their people much sooner. You find your people on Reddit, you find your people on, you know, X or Insta or whatever your network is. >> Oh, yeah. I mean, that's the coolest thing today. Like, there's probably a subreddit, there's probably um a part of X, like, you know, some part
6:47of teapot that is uh you know, this part of Twitter that um is just your set of super weird, but like really, really into that thing. >> Yeah. >> And you can find your tribe more or less instantly. >> Yeah. Yeah, can you talk a bit about the culture of Silicon Valley? It felt like 10 years ago it was sort of, you know, it was lower status to work on something