Devon Zuegel

but then it's not quite what people want. And it doesn't quite actually encourage the type of community that I'm interested in. That would be a real shame. And so trying to figure out ways to tighten that feedback loop is really important. And the pop-up village is one way that we do that, where we've brought it really close to the property.

but then it's not quite what people want. And it doesn't quite actually encourage the type of community that I'm interested in. That would be a real shame. And so trying to figure out ways to tighten that feedback loop is really important. And the pop-up village is one way that we do that, where we've brought it really close to the property.

And this summer when we hosted, I'm planning to bring people to the property and we'll go on hikes around it. I'll show people the site plans and get their reactions on what they think, get their feedback. It was also interesting, Healdsburg, which is the town 15 minutes south where we're hosting the Papa Village.

And this summer when we hosted, I'm planning to bring people to the property and we'll go on hikes around it. I'll show people the site plans and get their reactions on what they think, get their feedback. It was also interesting, Healdsburg, which is the town 15 minutes south where we're hosting the Papa Village.

Healdsburg is a really charming little walkable town as well, centered around a plaza, basically a town square. And I got to get a lot of hands-on experience of seeing how the different... aspects of urban design in Healdsburg informed the way that people interacted with each other in Edge Esmeralda.

Healdsburg is a really charming little walkable town as well, centered around a plaza, basically a town square. And I got to get a lot of hands-on experience of seeing how the different... aspects of urban design in Healdsburg informed the way that people interacted with each other in Edge Esmeralda.

And there were a lot of really great things that we want to learn from, like having that central plaza is amazing for what we're doing. People always know to find each other in the plaza. But then there's other aspects like right near the plaza, there's a super wide road called Healdsburg Avenue, which has a lot of fast cars.

And there were a lot of really great things that we want to learn from, like having that central plaza is amazing for what we're doing. People always know to find each other in the plaza. But then there's other aspects like right near the plaza, there's a super wide road called Healdsburg Avenue, which has a lot of fast cars.

And I noticed every time I have to cross from the plaza to the other side, there's this friction where I'm like, oh, it better be really worth it for me to get to the other side of this road compared to the other direction, which has like much more narrow roads and easier to cross. That event has really tightened the feedback loop.

And I noticed every time I have to cross from the plaza to the other side, there's this friction where I'm like, oh, it better be really worth it for me to get to the other side of this road compared to the other direction, which has like much more narrow roads and easier to cross. That event has really tightened the feedback loop.

I've also organized over the last few years what I call traveling neighborhoods, where I basically invite friends and friends of friends to come travel with me in different places in the world that have inspired what we're trying to build. A recent one was this beautiful town in Costa Rica called Las Catalinas.

I've also organized over the last few years what I call traveling neighborhoods, where I basically invite friends and friends of friends to come travel with me in different places in the world that have inspired what we're trying to build. A recent one was this beautiful town in Costa Rica called Las Catalinas.

And I could talk for days about Las Catalinas, but there's a lot of things that I am inspired by in that community. And I could have just gone there by myself. But when you go somewhere by yourself, you don't fully experience what it's like to live there because you don't have your community.

And I could talk for days about Las Catalinas, but there's a lot of things that I am inspired by in that community. And I could have just gone there by myself. But when you go somewhere by yourself, you don't fully experience what it's like to live there because you don't have your community.

Whereas I was down there with, I think, about 20 people and we were there for a whole week and we experienced what it was actually like to be there embedded in more of a community. Of course, not the same thing as living there full time and having a job, but it simulates the experience more. Long story short is I spent a lot of time thinking about how to get those feedback loops.

Whereas I was down there with, I think, about 20 people and we were there for a whole week and we experienced what it was actually like to be there embedded in more of a community. Of course, not the same thing as living there full time and having a job, but it simulates the experience more. Long story short is I spent a lot of time thinking about how to get those feedback loops.

And I actually think that the fact that feedback loops are so long and frankly getting longer in real estate is a big part of why people don't like a lot of the stuff that gets developed. And I could speak for days about why those feedback loops are getting longer.

And I actually think that the fact that feedback loops are so long and frankly getting longer in real estate is a big part of why people don't like a lot of the stuff that gets developed. And I could speak for days about why those feedback loops are getting longer.

So Las Catalinas is really spectacular. I highly recommend that people visit. So Las Catalinas is on the west coast of Costa Rica, and it's comprised of 1,200 acres, which is approximately the same size as Golden Gate Park in San Francisco or Central Park, give or take. So it's a lot of land.

So Las Catalinas is really spectacular. I highly recommend that people visit. So Las Catalinas is on the west coast of Costa Rica, and it's comprised of 1,200 acres, which is approximately the same size as Golden Gate Park in San Francisco or Central Park, give or take. So it's a lot of land.