Our Co-Founder Quang writes this about his time attending the UrbanForm booth at the Bisnow Multifamily event in Los Angeles:
One of my favorite questions I get at these events is: "Are you here to take my job?"
This is how I've learned to respond:
I tell them that I have too much respect for what they do to ever claim that software can take away what makes them valuable.
A good response is NOT to laugh maniacally, which is what some did around me when they heard that question.
Computers are good at some things; they are bad or worthless at many, many more things.
Focusing on the good that both computers and humans can do (and the good they can do together) is where our eyes should be focused.
What software can certainly do is take away some of the repetitive or meaningless tasks that may keep you from doing what you really want to do. What makes you valuable.
Along those lines, another one of the conversations I had was about what life was like before we had Google Maps, and the near ubiquity of jokes about getting lost on the way to one place or another, how to fold maps, how dads don't like to admit getting lost or ask directions, etc.
We've lost a whole class of easy, relatable jokes that were low-hanging fruit for any family movie or stand-comedian just a generation ago.
So, on the one hand, while Google Maps saved us from the frustration of dealing with paper maps and getting lost, on the other hand we need to write new jokes??
The same will be the case with zoning.
One day we will laugh about how we used to access zoning information before UrbanForm.
Thanks again to the great crew at Bisnow for putting on a great event in Los Angeles yesterday, including Stephanie Smith, Bora Altunay, Max Stein (congrats on your wedding!), and Gabby Bernstein.
Always a pleasure to come to Los Angeles and soak in the sun and the energy and to have great conversations with Greg Rodgers, Jeffrey Bymaster (had one of the best pairs of shoes I've seen, featuring Homer Simpson), Michel Hybrant, Kyle Brauer (who almost won the free iPhone 16), Kara Block, Cassie Cherry, Edward Domangue (who had the audacity to challenge me to a match at Street Fighter II--do you realize how I spent my high school years???), Sean Mo, Gio Aliano, AIA, Babak Azimi AIA, Peter Haggstrom, Jacqueline Beckingham AIA, Peter David Ballance, Sy Kraft, Sabrina David, Michelle Dass, Dwight Bond, AIA _ Architect in Southern California, Apurva Pande, Jeff Allen, Cara Tas (with the most beautiful watch I saw the whole trip), Jared Wick, Oliver King (loved reminiscing about the Bronx and Brooklyn), Michael Lopus, Chenxi Li (love the straight talk), Raymond Salem, Jason Yap, Stephane Toussenel (best smile), Darrell Neubert, Mark K. Donahue AIA and Mable C. (with some of the most forward thinking I've heard regarding establishing processes for architecture firms).
Looking forward to continuing the conversation!
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