This is a submission for the Google I/O Writing Challenge
I had barely caught up from my email backlog and the disorienting reality distortion field as a City known as Las Vegas for Google Next when Google I/O creeped up.
So once again I found myself in a middle seat on a 777 with spotty WiFi headed to the Mecca of all things tech for Google IO 2026.
Mountain View is in many ways more dangerous than Vegas. With Vegas- the gaudiness is front and center- but Silicon Valley the danger is much more subtle.
Instead of Neon lights there are always pitfalls like the next performance-maxxing Founder bro that wants to do a 9-9-6 for the startup because of his Tik-Tok Feed.
