Posted on March 19, 2014

Jase writes about his his second day in San Francisco which includes: TWiT.tv, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge and Petaluma.

Our first full day in San Francisco. We needed an early start, but not this early. Being 7 hours behind, were both up and ready for breakfast by 5am... not that it was served until 6:30am.

Breakfast at the hotel isn't too bad. Cereals, toast, pancakes, sausage (McDonald's style) and some kind of scrambled/fried egg thing. It tastes a little better than it looks however you need to hack it apart on paper plates with plastic knives and forks. Classy Holiday Inn!



So today's plan was visiting TWiT.tv (www.twit.tv) in Petaluma by bus to watch the filming of our favourite video podcast Ipad Today and then back early afternoon to visit Alcatraz, and then a bit of prep work ready for a day of pitches on Wednesday.

Things didn't exactly go according to plan, but it far exceeded our expectations of the day.

A short 20 minute walk across town to the bus stop, followed by an anxious wait for the Golden Gate Transit 101 service. Buses don't seem to follow their timetable here. Shortly after seriously considering abandoning the public transport plan and looking for an emergency rental car, the bus eventually pulled in to our stop on Van Ness street.

Petaluma is about an hours drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge so my first experience of crossing the Golden Gate Bridge was sat in a busy bus, next to a sleeping Japanese guy. I managed to take a few pics through the window but I'm sure we'll get a better opportunity on Thursday when we get our rental car.



We finally arrived in Petaluma. Petaluma is a picturesque little backwater town no bigger than maybe Cowbridge... but bathed in sunshine pretty much all year round. It's impressive that such a small unassuming town has, in one of its quiet side streets, an online broadcasting company that welds so much influence across the globe in regards to tech and innovation.

Both Dan and I have listened and watched various shows on TWiT.tv for many years so visiting the studio and meeting it's patriarch Leo Laporte was a pretty big deal for us. Together with providing all their various shows as audio and video podcasts, they broadcast live across various streaming networks which allows unprecedented access to the workings of the network enabling viewers to watch how shows are prepared and broadcast.



We had arranged tickets to be in the audience many weeks in advance and it came as a big shock to find that the audience numbers for the show was... just the both of us. And our seats for the show would literally be a couple of feet away from the set where the two presenters Leo and Sarah would be sat.

We were told to make ourselves feel at home, shown where the toilets were and told where to go as and when we wanted to leave.

'iPad Today' is one of TWiT TV's most popular programme's and focuses on apps and news stories around the iPad. Being iPad app developers, it's required weekly viewing. They have thousands upon thousands of viewers across the globe, a lot of which tune in to watch the show be broadcast live.

As soon as you walk into the studio, your presence is broadcast around the globe and every word the presenters, floor managers, producers say etc is broadcast to the world. Being sat in the middle of the studio knowing that so many people are watching is quite an experience! Hundreds of viewers also engage with the studio via the TWiT.tv chat room, the chatter of which is relayed on screens around the studio.



Leo Laporte and Sarah soon arrived on set, quickly acknowledged our presence with a quick, "hi guys", settled into the show and started broadcasting 'iPad Today' to the world. So casual, so unassuming as if they had no idea the power and influence they weld over the tech community and the buying public around the world (but they so do!).

It was a pleasant surprise that today's show was all about kids apps, and the issues facing parents regarding provided access to their iPads to their kids and what kids should be allowed to see. It was also St Patrick's Day which prompted much jest regarding Irish traditions, Irish accents and chat about British relations with the Irish. It was actually one of the best episodes of 'iPad Today' ever.

After the show, the presenters looked over to us and started to chat about the show, who we were, and what we were doing in the area. Amazingly Leo then invited us both on set, to sit in front of the cameras and chat about our new kids app and a little Welsh trivia. Meanwhile, the cameras were still streaming to thousands of viewers across the globe! The chat room lit up with mentions of our app, Wales and Dan's shiny bald head devoid of coverup concealer.(UPDATE: having reviewed the footage, they were more than likely to have actually be referring to my head.)



Our new app was now out there! With online chatter about when it was being released and where they could learn more. It couldn't have gone any better! You can't pay for that kind of advertising. We now have to build on that and deliver it! And quickly!

Our chat with Leo and our five minutes of fame came at a price however. We missed our planned bus back to the city, having to wait a further 2 hours for the next meaning our planned trip to Alcatraz was missed. It didn't matter though, after that experience, anything else that day would have been left in the shadows.

After eventually making it back to the city, we ventured into Fisherman's Wharf for a bite to eat. Today we opted for an Italian restaurant called Cioppino's. Dan opting for Pizza whilst I opted for the local speciality crab sandwich. Very tasty!



A short walk back to the hotel, some work on our presentation for Wednesday's pitches and our first full day in San Francisco was at an end. Our trip already exceeding our expectations.

Our full photoset of the trip can be found at our Flickr pages.