Whenever a new batch of our team go off to San Francisco, we try and make sure that we get to experience the birthplace of many of today’s technology giants. It’s a sort of pilgrimage if you will; a journey back to where it all began and a glimpse into what the future holds.

This year was no different as we took the opportunity, before Microsoft Build begins on Wednesday, to go walkabout in Silicon Valley.

We visited the famed HP Garage where Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett built the first Hewlett-Packard product, widely considered to be the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley”.


One of the forefathers of our post-PC eraAn inspiring quote at the Intel Museum
The Intel Museum is always a highlight for geeks, scientists and history buffs alike, where we get to experience technology improvements through the ages and become inspired by pioneers in the world of computing.

The most colourful place on earthAt Facebook HQ

Back to the present, we make a stop at Apple Inc., Google and Facebook to witness some of our contemporaries at their place of work and imagine what it would be like to work in the Valley (hint: it’s not much different from our home at The Quarterdeck, Durban!).

Inside the Tesla showroom
And then finally, a visit to the future. We hurtle into a Tesla Motors dealership to find out more about the latest in electric vehicle technology.

You can view more pics from our tour in the Instagram section on the Build website