Highlighting: Taste in Tech (You're invited)
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Hey y’all! My name is Kelley Griggs, and I’m the founder and host of StartupNash (my company Britepeer’s premier community).
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This is an extra newsletter! I write these every once in a while when I see something new emerging from our tech community.
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Taste eating Silicon Valley?
This week I read an article called "Taste is Eating Silicon Valley" by Anu Atluru. The article discusses a significant shift in the tech industry from valuing pure technical prowess to focusing on "taste"— which is, in her words, a blend of design, branding, user experience, and cultural relevance.
In the past, software was the differentiator. She references Marc Andreessen’s famous post “Why software is eating the world.” In this new era, she writes, "taste" is the differentiator. Companies must excel not only in functionality but also in how their products feel, look, and resonate with users culturally. This article is really tempting to read into, because if she’s right, I see opportunity for our own ecosystem. The article highlights how even in sectors like B2B software and AI, products compete not just on technical merit but on their aesthetics, design, and emotional impact. Iconic companies like Apple and Tesla succeeded because they fused technology with cultural resonance, transforming their brands into symbols of taste and lifestyle. If “taste” existed before, what makes taste more powerful now?
What this means for startup communities like Nashville?
Nashville could draw from our own cultural roots in future companies and product iterations. Our storytelling and creativity could be a differentiator.
Investors/VCs could adapt their criteria and focus more on design and branding in their evaluations.
Nashville startups could become leaders in niche markets where culture and tech intersect. Sectors like music tech, entertainment, health and wellness, and AI could be ripe for innovation driven by taste, where the emotional and cultural impact of products matters as much as functionality.
Nashville founders will need to focus on both community building and establishing a unique cultural presence if the author is correct.
Brand-driven innovation may emerge.
Sounds like we need a refresher on branding.
I’ve partnered up with my friend and branding expert Jamie Cox. She’s designed a workshop for founders. You’re invited to it.
I think this will give us a chance to talk more about the importance of brand building, and how we can use our creative strengths to compete in an environment where design and culture are held to the same standard as tech achievements.
If you want to join these conversations or post a win, please join StartupNash.
Those are this week’s highlights. If you’d like to share ongoing updates with founders and funders on this email list, sign up to be a member of StartupNash. StartupNash uses Britepeer, a tool my team built, to connect members in our community by skill. We believe sharing knowledge through peer mentorship spreads wealth in our community. I hope you’ll consider joining us.