The Pursuit of Up

On September 27, 1899, the Tower Building, New York’s first steel-frame construction, was completed. Though its name now feels redundant, at the time it served as an apt descriptor for the sight Manhattan passers-by beheld. The building towered over them.

The man behind this endeavor was a young architect named Bradford Gilbert. When explaining his building design to others, he told them it would be something like “a steel bridge stood up on one end”. Critics quickly dubbed it the "Idiotic Building”, and some even placed bets on when, exactly, the whole thing would topple over. But the Tower Building did not topple over. On the contrary, it became New York’s first skyscraper and helped usher in a new era for building cities. This architectural achievement pushed the limits of gravity and defied perceptions of possibility. 

The drive to build to the sky continues today, both literally and metaphorically. Usually we call it innovation. I call it the pursuit of Up, and I feel inspired to be its champion. I am not an expert by any means. But I hope that by discussing it and chasing it, I'll be able to make a small contribution to it. Perhaps I can even inspire a few others to do the same.

If you’re reading this, I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram. I don't care what industry you're in or what your title is. I’m always up for hearing a new idea, and offering one back (my only request is no selling please).

I might be naive, but I’m increasingly confident that the challenges we face can be solved through innovation. I believe we can scrape the sky. I believe in the pursuit of Up.