Relentless #52 - San Francisco: The Frontier City | Sam D'Amico, Jason Carman, Will O'Brien, Michael LaFramboise, Laurence Allen
12 snips
Sep 30, 2025 
Join Sam D'Amico, CEO of Impulse Labs, as he discusses innovative electric appliances. Will O'Brien of Ulysses dives into ocean robotics, presenting the ocean as a new frontier. Filmmaker Jason Carman emphasizes the power of storytelling in tech, while Michael LaFramboise from Aurelia Systems breaks down directed energy technologies. The group also debates the cultural resurgence of hardware, domestic manufacturing challenges, and the impact of regulation on innovation in San Francisco's tech landscape.
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San Francisco's Hardware Renaissance
- San Francisco is re-emerging as a hardware and deep-tech hub with many founders building physical products.
- Founders see a return to frontier-style innovation beyond the SaaS era.
Hard Problems Build Durable Companies
- Many founders argue building difficult physical products creates stronger moats and attracts top talent.
- Hard hardware companies can now find renewed investor interest after a SaaS-heavy decade.
Pizza-Led Product Origin
- Sam D'Amico started Impulse Labs to cook pizza faster by adding battery storage inside appliances.
- He realized many medium-sized machines have a mismatch between peak and average power that batteries can solve.