There’s a slow phase shift in Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs are focusing on physical products more than ever before.
“There’s a deep hunger to create products you can actually hold in your hands,” says Michael Del Ponte, a serial entrepreneur who just launched a new company today, Soma Water.
“When I talk to entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley about this, they talk about seeing their product in someone’s home. It’s going into someone’s house and being able to say, ‘Yeah, I helped build that.’ There’s something about that experience.”
The shift originated with Steve Jobs turning Apple into a consumer-products company, says Del Ponte, but really gained momentum when iPod creator Tony Fadell redesigned the thermostat. Robotics companies like Romotive are also a huge part of this trend.
http://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-software-vs-hardware-2012-12#ixzz2EtOFhJzO