WINGMAN KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD
WHY AUSTIN ROCKS RIGHT NOW
“I like Austin because it lets me be myself. It’s really the secret to why Austin is so cool. All you have to be in Austin is you and Austin appreciates it when you are” Matthew McConaughey
Austin is one of our favourite places to operate in. Forbes rated it number 1 in America's fastest growing cities. Its a potent mix of tech companies, HNWI that have an alternative and challenger mindset. A hot climate means work-life balance is important to those in the city. They see themselves as alternative Texans... Not the shiny corporate Dallas or Houstonites. They like Austin to be different, they like to keep Austin weird. Here are some companies that have either grown out of Austin or are the ones to watch out for in the future....
ONNIT: ALL ABOUT HUMAN OPTIMIZATION
1} ONNIT gym / supplements online / an Academy and some innovations in how to train and the types of free weights to use. Aubrey Marcus has forged a name for himself through his forhtright views on psychedlic drugs to cure anxiety and stress, open relationships and how to optimize human performance. The who's who of Austin elite sportsmen and women are there- go train with Lance Armstrong...
YETI
2} YETI: Manufacturers of outdoor lifestyle products such as ice chests, vacuum-insulated stainless-steel drinkware, soft coolers, and related accessories. Originated and HQ based in Austin. They are starting to own cool outdoor equipment. A wicked website and instagram that celebrates getting outdoors...
TITO'S HANDMADE VODKA
3} TITO'S VODKA has taken the US by storm. Bert Butler Beveridge II – nicknamed Tito – was given the only existing license to distill his own Vodka in Austin, Texas. He started in the 90s, using corn instead of the usual potatoes or wheat and handmade his Vodka, distilling it six times in a lengthy and old-fashioned process. Its a total juxtaposition against the category that go for cold, crisp, mass produced, Russian
RIDE AUSTIN TAKING ON UBER
4} RIDE AUSTIN RIDESHARE. A nonprofit built for Austin by Austin. The only rideshare to have 100% of their drivers fingerprinted for safety efforts. The city took on Uber and booted them out. Ride Austin was born to show the city didnt need Uber. 2 million rides within a year of starting. Run by legends. Showing Austin likes to stick up for itself and doesnt pander to the big guys
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMAS
5} ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMAS The original Alamo Drafthouse opened in a renovated parking garage on Colorado Street in 1997. After a successful first decade, it closed in 2007 as the Alamo concept opened larger theaters in Austin as well as around the country. Showing the cinema experience can by magical. At the last count there were 29 across the US. Tim League— CEO of the chain as well as founder of its film distribution arm, Drafthouse Films, and the 12-year-old Fantastic Fest—says it all comes down to details like its vintage pre-movie entertainment and strict theater etiquette. They took going to the cinema back to its roots to make it more of an experience than the usual chains that were losing customers to DVDs then 'netflix and chill'.
GOOGLE CHOSE AUSTIN AS THE FIRST MAJOR CITY TO LAUNCH FIBER
6} GOOGLE FIBER- tested in a small area of Kansas first but rolled out in Austin next as the test of the influencers. In 2013 Google announced Austin would be the first Google Fiber City. Google Fiber provides an Internet connection speed of up to one gigabit per second, for both download and upload. That's about 100 times faster access than what most Americans have currently. Waiting ages for large files to upload will soon be a thing of the past. This is the future of the internet. Or now if you live in Austin.
FRANKLIN BBQ - THE LONGEST QUEUES FOR THE ULTIMATE BRISKET
7} FRANKLIN BBQ - a restaurant that began in 2009 and has sold out of its signature dish every day since opening... The brisket is the centrepiece of Central Texas BBQ, Franklin are top of the pile in the most competitive smoked meats city in the world. It's a lunch-only venue that has people queing early in the morning to ensure they get Aaron Franklin is owner and anyone that has their title as chief firestarter makes us envious. Aaron is widely regarded as one of the most influential pitmasters in the U.S. What we love is the total dedication to one thing- smoking meats - and doing it as well as can be done. From the sourcing and cut of meat, salting, choice of wood, style of pit, length of time smoking... then comes the TV show, feature in a film (Chef), book, merchandise and the rest...
CAPITAL FACTORY - THE MAGNET FOR ENTREPRENEURS IN TEXAS
8} CAPITAL FACTORY - the place where the tech community in Austin come together. A co-working space established way before WeWork was starting out. The venue is home to hundreds of startups working in software, hardware & innovation. It's a hub for a vast network of mentors, investors and startup resources, giving startups the tools they need to help their company grow and thrive within their community. Its a great place to be during the marquee event season in Austin: SXSW, Austin City Limits, F1 Grand Prix weekend and the Trail of Lights Festival.