So… the apocalypse happened... not officially, but like… we all know.
Metaphorically. Mostly. But yeah, 2019/2020 hit like a truck for a lot of us. Covid times were weird. Dark, even. Life paused, then lurched, then sort of… resumed, but not really the same.
And somehow, through all of that, you end up in Tucson, Arizona.
Far from “home.” Whatever that even means anymore.
You’re licking your wounds a bit. Regrouping. Doing that quiet internal recalibration where you tell yourself, “this is temporary,” while also knowing… it might not be.
You make the best of it.
Then Tucson grows on you.
Hard. Like, “well damn… okay then” hard.
The people? Genuinely great. Not fake nice. Not transactional. Just… good humans.
The food? Legit. Like, sneakily world-class in pockets you wouldn’t expect.
The cost of living? Let’s just say coming from somewhere like San Diego, it feels like you accidentally unlocked a cheat code.
So you settle in.
You make friends. Buy a house. Meet a girl. Join an HOA (deep, soul leaving your body sigh…).. Become a regular at a couple local bars. You build a life. A normal life.
And honestly? It’s pretty great.
Best of all, you work from home. No commute. No office politics. Just you, your code, and whatever playlist is carrying you that day.
So you roll like that for a while.
Until you get bored. Not dramatic bored. Not “burn it all down” bored. Just… dangerous bored.
It sneaks up on you.
Because the thing about ambition is it doesn’t really go away. You can ignore it. You can soften it. You can tell yourself you’re good where you’re at.
But eventually, it taps you on the shoulder again.
“Hey… remember me?”
Yeah. That.
So you dust off the social muscles. The business instincts. That part of your brain that wants to build, connect, push things forward.
And now you’ve got a problem.
You don’t know anyone in Tucson.
At least not in that context.
So you do what any self-respecting nerd does when faced with a social discovery problem:
You ask Reddit and immediately question that decision..
Mixed results, as expected. But it pointed in the right direction. Enough breadcrumbs to start pulling on threads.
And Tucson, it turns out, has a few.
TENWEST
TENWEST was one of the first things that popped up, and it’s… legit.
Like, proper proper.
My take? It’s a bit of a hodgepodge but in a good way. You’ve got people from all over the Tucson business spectrum showing up. Tech, hospitality, healthcare, random entrepreneurs doing fascinating things you didn’t even know existed.
And TENWEST takes itself seriously.
Very seriously.
But in a way that makes sense. They’ve built something real, and it shows.
I ended up joining as a yearly member, and honestly, it’s been worth it just for the access alone. The events are consistent, well put together, and you get a rotating cast of people to connect with.
My first event was at The Broadway, and it was exactly what you’d hope for. I met technical folks, restaurateurs, a retired doctor who now runs a dance studio (because of course), co-working founders, and a bunch of other technologists just trying to figure out their next move.
Super diverse crowd.
The format is what you’d expect: mingle, chat, grab a drink, maybe make a connection, and then at some point, a sponsor gets their moment. A little “hey, we paid for this” presentation.
Not my favorite part, but also… fair. Capitalism’s gonna capitalism.
Overall? Solid. Consistent. Worth showing up for.
Arizona Tech Council
The Arizona Tech Council (AZTC) isn’t strictly Tucson, but they show up here enough to matter.
My experience with AZTC has been… mixed, but trending up.
The first event I hit was at a Tetakawi facility; big warehouse vibes, with a section carved out for the event. About 50 people, very professional crowd. Suits, polos, business cards flying.
Drinks were flowing. Food was great.
But the energy?
A little stiff.
I walked out thinking, “eh… not sure this is my scene.”
It felt more like people talking at each other than with each other. A little too polished. A little too… rehearsed. Like everyone pre-read their personality.
Then came the Starr Pass event.
Game changer.
The Tucson after5 Holiday Tech Mixer was everything the first one wasn’t. Bigger crowd. Way more technologists. Conversations actually happening. People loosening up.
The drinks and the ideas were flowing.
I nerded out with multiple groups. Had real conversations. Walked away energized instead of indifferent.
So yeah, AZTC can be hit or miss.
But when it hits? It fucking hits.
Startup Zones
Startup Zones is a different beast.
Smaller. More focused. More intimate.
And very much geared toward people who are building something.
If TENWEST is broad and AZTC is polished, Startup Zones is… scrappy. In a good way.
They run events constantly. Like, every week constantly. Talks, meetups, one-on-ones, casual hangs, it’s a lot, and it gives you plenty of entry points.
One week you’re in a classroom at Pima watching a talk.
Another week you’re at the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce talking shop with someone who’s been there and done that.
Another night you’re at a bar just… connecting.
The range of people is what makes it interesting.
You’ve got fresh grads trying to break in. Mid-career devs leveling up. Founders actively building. Retired execs who are either bored or solving new problems just because they can.
It’s a good mix.
And because it’s smaller, the conversations tend to go deeper.
You’re not just exchanging “what do you do?”, you’re actually getting into the "why" and "how" of things.
Tech Nerds United
And then there’s Tech Nerds Unite.
The crown jewel.
This is, hands down, my favorite.
No question.
This is where the actual nerdery lives.
Every event feels like a takeover. The group shows up, floods a bar, and suddenly it’s just… us. Developers, engineers, founders, tinkerers, all in one place.
No structure. No agenda. No sponsor pitch.
Just people.
Talking shop. Talking nonsense. Talking about that one bug that made you question your life choices. Talking about that new idea you probably shouldn’t start but might anyway.
It’s chaotic in the best way. Light anarchy. Strong opinions. Zero slides.
You’ve got baby devs soaking it all in. Mid-career folks blowing off steam. Veterans who’ve seen some shit. Owners quietly (or not so quietly) looking for their next opportunity.
And everyone, to a person, is a nerd.
It’s great.
Sometimes there’s an open bar. Sometimes not.
Doesn’t matter.
The value isn’t in the drinks.
It’s in the people.
So… Yeah
And that’s kinda the thing.
You move somewhere thinking you’re hitting reset. Lay low. Rebuild. Keep your head down.
Tucson was supposed to be that.
A soft landing.
And it was.
Until it wasn’t.
Because eventually, something kicks back on.
You don’t even notice it at first. It’s just a feeling. A pull. That quiet voice in the background going, “hey… we’re not done.”
And Tucson, weirdly, is a great place for that to happen.
Not because it’s trying too hard.
Not because it’s pretending to be something it’s not.
But because it’s real.
The people are real. The conversations are real. The opportunities aren’t always obvious, but they’re there if you show up and stay curious long enough.
And that’s really it.
Just show up.
Go to the thing.
Talk to people.
Be a little awkward. Nerd out more than you should. Have one more drink than planned. Follow up when you say you will.
Don’t overthink it.
Because somewhere in all of that, something starts to click.
Not in a big, cinematic way.
But in a steady, compounding way.
And suddenly you realize...
You’re not just settling anymore.
You’re building again.
And honestly?
That’s better.
Because now it’s intentional.
So yeah.
Tucson got me.
Now we’ll see what I can build out of it. No pressure. Just… everything.