The boy-centric tech industry has taken a shine to the annual Burning Man gala in the desert, which starts this weekend. Once known as a free-spirited event free from the shackles of corporate America, it has, in part, evolved into a networking fest for the powerful and elite. And a smart way to land a coveted tech gig, aside from having a penis, is to don a furry cowboy hat, grab those steampunk goggles, and head to the playa.
The Chronicle reports on one noteworty networking moment (bold emphasis ours):
Venture capitalist and legal scholar Dustin Boyer got a job while he was at Burning Man."How do you think I ended up working at Google? I met Larry and Sergey on the playa," said Boyer at a recent dinner party in the Mission District. "They were running around in full spandex bodysuits, so no one could see who they were - it's hard to be a billionaire at Burning Man, even though there are so many of them."
Marian Goodell, Burning Man director of business and communications, describes the annual party as "a corporate retreat." But don't start wringing your hands just yet, old timers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Goodell adds: "If you're in the longtime Burning Man community, maybe it's easy to frown on certain types of people coming. But the more we have a variety of influencers - folks from London and New York - the better off we will be and the better off the Burning Man Project."
And by "better off," we assume she means more Sergey Brin sporting tighter and skimpier attire. Par exemple.
Previously: 25 Reasons You're Glad You're Not Going To Burning Man
