Face to face meetings
Sometimes the best discussions are in person: whether it's sitting with ex-Salon CEO and senior director of news and social products at Google, Richard Gingras or outside in the sunshine at a café table hearing Pando CEO Sarah Lacy speak truth to the new power.
Open discussion with peers
Not every office in California has a free canteen and rockets hanging from the ceiling. Not every startup has the same burn-rate as Twitter. Sometimes it's good to take a reality check and meet the up-and-comers (this time in Oakland).
Another perspective
Sometimes it's good to get the temperature of a place - understand how far the power has shifted to Silicon Valley and visit the monuments they are building to their own success. We're unlikely to get an invite to the new Apple HQ anytime soon, but there are plenty of others.