Can California Ever Build Again?
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This podcast episode features Ashley Vance interviewing Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, about his ambitious plan to build America's next great city in Solano County, California. (01:08) Sramek, a Czech immigrant who arrived in the U.S. in 2014, has spent eight years secretly acquiring 68,000 acres (110 square miles) of land with backing from Silicon Valley's wealthiest investors including Marc Andreessen, Patrick Collison, and others. The project aims to create a new city for 400,000 residents centered around advanced manufacturing, shipbuilding, and traditional American urbanism. (05:31)
- Main themes include California's lost ability to build infrastructure, the need for re-industrialization, and creating an optimistic vision for America's future through traditional city planning combined with cutting-edge manufacturing
Speakers
Jan Sramek
CEO and founder of California Forever, Jan Sramek is a Czech immigrant who moved to the United States in 2014. He grew up in a small town of 700 people in an entirely blue-collar family and spent ten years in the UK and Switzerland before arriving in California. (37:17) After running a small tech startup in software training and education, he became obsessed with California's inability to build and spent years studying urban development, eventually founding California Forever in 2016 to create America's next great city.
Ashley Vance
Host of the Core Memory podcast and technology journalist. Vance has been covering Silicon Valley and following the California Forever project for approximately two years, providing critical perspective on the intersection of technology, politics, and urban development in California.
Key Takeaways
Start With Deep Research Before Taking Bold Action
Sramek spent years systematically studying California's development challenges before committing to his vision. (43:35) He read 500 books about city history, real estate development, and land use regulations, becoming his own biggest skeptic. When he conceived the idea of building a new city, he spent six months trying to prove himself wrong by writing down every possible objection and systematically finding solutions. This thorough preparation enabled him to convince investors and navigate complex challenges. The lesson for professionals is that ambitious projects require extensive groundwork - you must become an expert in your domain and stress-test your ideas before implementation.
Timing and Patience Are Critical for Generational Projects
Sramek's founding thesis in 2016 was that "the situation in California would get worse until it got better," predicting a countermovement toward abundance. (20:04) He correctly anticipated that California's anti-growth mindset would eventually inspire pushback as problems became undeniable. The project's success came partly from waiting for the right political moment when both left and right began advocating for building again. For professionals pursuing long-term visions, this demonstrates the importance of understanding cycles and positioning yourself ahead of inevitable shifts rather than fighting against overwhelming current sentiment.
Operational Excellence Beats Perfect Conditions
Despite California's reputation for being impossible to build in, Sramek emphasized that "California can't permit, but once we've permitted something, it goes as quickly here as it does in Texas." (27:28) The real bottleneck is regulatory approval, not actual construction capability. From breaking ground, homes can be ready in 12-18 months, and manufacturing facilities can be operational within a year. This insight reveals that perceived limitations often mask operational realities - successful professionals focus on executing within existing constraints rather than waiting for perfect conditions.
Maintain Long-term Vision While Adapting Tactically
When California Forever faced political opposition to creating an independent city, Sramek pivoted to partnering with existing municipalities like Suisun City for annexation. (73:25) He maintained the core vision of building a great city while adapting the governance structure based on community feedback. This flexibility transformed opposition into support without compromising the fundamental goals. The strategic lesson is that successful leaders hold their vision firmly while remaining flexible on execution methods - the "what" stays constant while the "how" evolves based on stakeholder input and changing circumstances.
Proximity Drives Innovation and Productivity
Sramek argues that separating R&D from manufacturing severely hampers innovation speed, citing how the Boeing 747 was built 20 miles from where it was designed. (86:45) He contrasts this with current Silicon Valley companies that design products locally but manufacture in other states, requiring three-day trips for engineers to inspect production. His vision places advanced manufacturing within 15 minutes of Silicon Valley via future VTOL aircraft, enabling rapid iteration between design and production teams. For professionals, this highlights how physical proximity and reduced friction between complementary functions can dramatically accelerate progress and innovation.
Statistics & Facts
- California Forever owns approximately 68,000 acres (110 square miles) of land, which is two and a half times the size of San Francisco and five times bigger than Manhattan. (02:45) The proposed city would house 400,000 people on about 15,000 acres in the center, with the remainder used for manufacturing, shipbuilding, and a green belt.
- The project paid approximately four times market value for land, putting almost $1 billion into purchases from about 700 individual landowners, effectively "minting 700 millionaires" in Solano County. (68:37)
- Apple recently announced $600 billion in U.S. manufacturing investments, but less than 5% is going to California despite Apple being a quintessentially California company. (79:58) The majority is going to states like Kentucky and Texas due to California's permitting challenges.
