As I landed in San Francisco yesterday, my phone immediately recognized the free and powerful 4G network. No passcode needed. Since I came all the way here to engage with GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon) tech giants, the idea is to rely almost entirely on services such as Uber, or Lyft, Air BnB, etc. — and to try to survive in a cashless world (where nothing is free!)

So I got to compare the prices on both Uber and Lyft platforms – from the airport to the hotel, both proposed slightly less than $20 USD. Those two leaders of the fast growing car-sharing industry started over here in San Francisco, around the Bay area. There is a natural reason why not all of their services were created equal. Price, availability, social consciousness, types of car and safety intersect when consumers choose between Lyft and Uber. While companies are engaged in a battle for supremacy, we, riders, are left to choose – freedom of choice! – which car-sharing app we want to click on. I told Zeshan, the Uber driver (who also works with Lyft – depending on his geolocation and the demand), that in my country (Mauritius, not Mauritania!) Uber could not infiltrate the ecosystem because of our policies and politicians, and their vile dektis of biryani and all sorts of lobbies and satini...

Uber was founded in 2009 and now operates in 83 countries (858 cities) around the globe despite protests and challenges. It completes over 15 million trips per day. Uber is clearly THE archetypal disruptive business. Lyft was created in 2012 and operates exclusively on the US national level (in roughly 60 cities). It’s small but growing rapidly. Both business models have a lot in common – building on a network of unregulated drivers who trade their private vehicles as an improved taxi service (with all the personal liability and legal entanglements that entails).

In a pathbreaking pamphlet, On Freedom, Harvard professor Cass Sunstein asks us to rethink freedom. He posits that freedom of choice isn’t nearly enough. To be free, we must also be able to navigate life. People often need something like a GPS device to help them get where they want to go – whether the issue involves governance, health, money, jobs, children, or relationships.

In both rich and poor countries, citizens often have no idea how to get to their desired destination. That is why we are unfree. And we think we need to stick with the same political dynasties.

And how do we achieve freedom of choice? How is it made real in San Francisco’s SiliconValley? Well, it is not the location itself, it is the mindset stupid! The current growth of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning/ Automation and Blockchain technologies are creating new challenges and transforming both societies and behaviors. The power shift is clearly towards the consumer. This will be further amplified with upcoming 5G networks. In Silicon Valley, young people, hungry for change, work around the clock as they firmly believe there’s never been a better time and place to explore the intersection of all these technologies. They believe that Blockchain can put an end to state corruption. Sunstein introduces one key notion: “navigability” – the best way to get from point A to points B and C. “When life is hard to navigate,” Mr. Sunstein writes, “people are less free.” Indeed, for Mr. Sunstein, these obstacles create a kind of bondage. Bondage, however, without a taskmaster…

Leaving Yahoo HQ, I realize that money can build impressive coworking spaces, incubators, and innovation labs. Money can buy great startups. But money simply can’t start them, unlike human intelligence. See you tomorrow!