Austin Next

This is another in our Unique to Austin series where we look at what gives Austin its special sauce. There is nothing more unique about Austin than SXSW. Over the past 30 years, Austin has grown, matured, and adapted to everything new, and SXSW has as well. Today, after two years of dealing with the pandemic, SXSW is back and it’s live. From March 11 through the 20th, there will be hundreds of presentations across dozens of topics, as well as workshops, seminars, screenings, and of course music. Today we are joined by Hugh Forrest, SXSW's Chief Programming Officer to talk about the event's history, this year's event, how it integrates/mirrors/supports the Austin ecosystem, and what the future holds. SXSW helps define...What's next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

What is Austin Next?

Austin is building the new tech, cultural, and intellectual stack. The region is a living laboratory to answer a single question: How do you build a global innovation superpower?

Host Jason Scharf dissects innovation from the individual to the ecosystem. From the soundstage to the data center to the fab, we decode the mechanics of Austin's innovation ecosystem.

As Atoms, Bits, and Intelligence converge, we explore how Hard Tech scale, digital velocity, and creative density collide. This is an audit of the future. We map the physics of the flywheel so builders and investors can navigate the chaos.