I by no means thought I’d be sipping my morning espresso with a facet of psilocybin (magic mushroom) edibles, however right here we’re. In Silicon Valley, microdosing magic mushrooms (taking tiny non-intoxicating doses) has gone from an open secret to virtually regular.
I used to be skeptical after I first heard know-how colleagues in San Francisco casually point out their “sub-perceptual” shroom routine. However curiosity obtained me. And as somebody who’s labored in each the SF Bay Space and Vancouver know-how scenes, I’ve seen microdosing develop into an actual pattern for optimizing work and life in our business.
The Silicon Valley microdosing tradition
Microdosing is a part of the productiveness routine in San Francisco’s startup circles. It’s not flaunted (you gained’t see individuals dropping capsules within the workplace brazenly), however point out microdosing at a meetup for tech individuals and also you’ll get understanding nods. I bear in mind a Friday hackathon the place a teammate quietly supplied me 0.1g of floor mushroom in a capsule. “For movement,” he winked.
Many swear by it for reaching a “movement state” on demand. They’re speaking about that zone the place the code writes itself, and artistic options click on. One startup publicist (pseudonym “Lily”) instructed Wired that microdosing “helps me suppose extra creatively and keep centered” and even makes managing stress simpler. She was certainly one of many younger professionals in San Fran experimenting with tiny doses to spice up efficiency at work.
You’re not tripping out at these sub-hallucinogenic quantities (typically round a tenth of an ordinary dose.) You’re only a bit extra energized and mentally tuned in, type of like a cup of espresso. People report barely sharper focus, simpler problem-solving, and fewer nervousness on microdose days. It’s like a gentler model of the espresso+Adderall vibe that some builders typically chase, with out the jitteriness or prescription dependence.
Silicon Valley has all the time cherished “optimizing” all the things, from biohacking diets to nootropics. Microdosing matches proper in. By the late 2010s, it was the worst-kept secret within the know-how world. Many engineers, product managers, and even VCs have been microdosing LSD or shrooms earlier than work. Influencers in Vancouver and San Fran brazenly mentioned it, which obtained a repute as “productiveness gasoline.”
Consider the lore that Steve Jobs dabbled in psychedelics or that assured CEOs have ritual morning nootropic stacks. Individuals took that and ran with it. There’s a tongue-in-cheek saying that when you’re not microdosing in SF, are you even making an attempt to innovate? That overstates it, however solely a bit. The strain to create and resolve complicated issues is actual. Some see microdosing as a aggressive edge.
I’ve personally discovered {that a} microdose could make me extra open-minded throughout brainstorming. My thoughts isn’t as caught within the ordinary packing containers, which is gold for inventive problem-solving. A coder pal mentioned that on microdose days, his debugging periods really feel much less irritating, virtually enjoyable, as a result of he’s extra affected person and curious quite than confused.
Vancouver’s take: Shrooms all over the place
After I moved to Vancouver, BC, I found the microdosing scene isn’t only a Silicon Valley factor. Vancouver’s know-how group has its personal flavour. For one, precise mushroom dispensaries popped up right here in recent times. There are brick-and-mortar shops the place you may stroll in and purchase microdose mushroom capsules or infused sweets prefer it’s a sweet store. It’s technically unlawful, however the authorities regarded the opposite means for some time, and these grey-market retailers flourished.
By 2024, Vancouver had a full-blown “shroom increase” with dozens of storefronts promoting all the things from 0.1g psilocybin capsules to macro-dose dried shrooms. This made microdosing absurdly accessible. In San Francisco, you needed to know a man who is aware of a man, or order doubtful “analysis provides.” In Vancouver, a junior developer might decide up a month’s provide of microdose drugs on their lunch break.
The know-how crowd in Vancouver embraced this accessibility. I’ve sat in stylish Gastown espresso retailers and overheard twenty-something startup founders swapping notes on their microdosing regimens, which strains felt “clear and lightweight” versus “heat and chatty.” It’s change into a standard matter, akin to discussing intermittent fasting or your 10K run occasions.
Vancouver-based AI CEO (founding father of Caseway), Alistair Vigier, commented that “microdosing is frequent in know-how accelerators, the place individuals typically don’t drink alcohol”.
I see this, too. There’s noticeably much less beer and wine at networking occasions or startup accelerator events in Vancouver. As a substitute, you will have people who’d quite keep sharp, perhaps sipping kombucha whereas having downed a microdose earlier.
It’s a twist on the “West Coast Cali sober” pattern, the place individuals substitute alcohol with issues like shrooms or hashish to really feel good with out the hangover. A current way of life piece even famous that many younger professionals see microdoses of mushrooms as a more healthy different to booze. It might probably present a lightweight temper raise and power increase with out dropping management. That rings true in my expertise. A Microdose doesn’t go away you foggy the following morning, so it appeals to startup people who have to be on their recreation coding at 8 am, not nursing a hangover.
Why we microdose and what it does for us
So, why are techies doing this? From my perspective and people round me, the enchantment is a mixture of productiveness, creativity, and emotional resilience. On a great microdosing day, I really feel subtly “dialled in.” It’s simpler to get into deep work. I’m in search of a state the place I would often be distracted by Slack pings, however as an alternative I’m calmly centered on the duty. My temper will get barely uplifted. I’m only a bit extra optimistic or comfy, which helps with the stress rollercoaster of startup life.
In the event you learn by way of boards or discuss to microdosers, you’ll see these frequent motivations come up repeatedly. They report higher focus, creativity, improved temper, and fewer nervousness. I’ve heard designers say {that a} microdose earlier than a brainstorming session helps the concepts movement extra freely. A product supervisor describes it as “WD-40 for teamwork” as a result of he feels extra empathetic and affected person in conferences. In my case, I discover I’m much less more likely to snap at bugs or last-minute adjustments. These issues change into amusing challenges quite than triggers for frustration.
There’s additionally a psychological well being side. Burnout is rampant within the know-how world, and a few use microdosing as a preventative measure. This could be a solution to preserve emotional steadiness. One Vancouver developer I do know began microdosing throughout the pandemic to struggle off boredom and located it lifted his baseline temper on robust days.
Preliminary analysis is beginning to again a few of it up. For instance, an observational research in 2022 discovered that individuals who microdosed psilocybin for a month reported minor enhancements in temper and psychological well being in comparison with those that didn’t. One other early analysis noticed microdosers self-report decrease melancholy and nervousness ranges, although it relied on self-reporting and wasn’t a medical trial. The science is younger right here, however it’s catching as much as what many people have felt anecdotally.
Microdosing is about enhancing actuality, if that is sensible. The dose is so low (typically round 0.1 to 0.3 grams of dried mushrooms) that you simply gained’t hallucinate or lose contact. You’re totally practical, perhaps working at 105% as an alternative of 100%. A colleague as soon as joked that microdosing “tunes you to the precise frequency.” You continue to cope with the identical code bugs and Zoom calls, and deal with them higher.
Personally, on days I microdose, I discover I’m extra more likely to take a step again and see the larger image when fixing an issue quite than getting tunnel imaginative and prescient. And sure, typically work simply feels extra pleasurable. Writing code can oddly begin to really feel like a inventive artwork once more when my mindset is a tad extra versatile.
Not all rainbows: Challenges and misconceptions
Microdosing continues to be unlawful just about all over the place (other than just a few decriminalized pockets). This implies individuals do it on the down-low. There’s a little bit of a wink-nudge understanding in our circles, however make no mistake, if HR discovered you’re taking shrooms at work, it may very well be hassle. I do know people who microdose solely on weekends or “earn a living from home” days to keep away from any danger.
One current survey of microdosers famous that illegality was the primary problem individuals reported, adopted by some bodily unintended effects (like delicate abdomen upset) and infrequently impaired focus (sarcastically) on dose days.
That final half is fascinating. Microdosing doesn’t work for everybody or each activity. I’ve had days the place I took the identical dose as all the time, however as an alternative of movement, I obtained this delicate restlessness, like my thoughts was wandering greater than ordinary. Not each microdose day is tremendous productive; typically, it’d make you too introspective or distractible, relying in your temper and your work.
Dosing itself is a problem
We’re speaking about tiny quantities of a pure fungus. Efficiency can differ between mushroom batches (or stems and caps). It’s straightforward for a “micro” dose to by chance change into a mini dose when you haven’t measured rigorously. Early on, I eyeballed a dose and have become extra buzzed than supposed. The colors have been a smidge brighter, and I noticed I used to be undoubtedly feeling it. Whoops.
There are Reddit threads of individuals admitting their microdose became an unplanned delicate journey at work. Exact scales and pre-measured capsules are a should if you would like consistency. As one researcher put it, the distinction between a real microdose and an “oops I’m a bit excessive” dose could be a few milligrams of psilocybin, and mushrooms don’t precisely include dosage labels. So there’s a studying curve in getting your dose dialled in. Some in the neighborhood even go additional, doing at-home extractions or shopping for lab-tested microdose merchandise to make certain of the content material.
One other false impression: individuals typically assume microdosing will resolve issues for them. It’s not a magic bullet. In the event you’re a continual procrastinator otherwise you hate your job, a sprinkle of shrooms isn’t going to show you right into a motivated famous person immediately. I’d say it’s extra of a nudge than a shove. Consider it like a complement that provides you a slight edge or a distinct perspective. You continue to need to work. Scientists are nonetheless debating whether or not microdosing’s advantages are partly placebo.
Some placebo-controlled trials and specialists have identified that we don’t have definitive proof that microdosing isn’t simply the facility of expectation at work. From private expertise, I believe there’s a actual impact, however mindset issues too. The ritual of microdosing, deliberately making an attempt to enhance your mindset, would possibly prime you to have a great day.
In the event you anticipate a microdose to make you extra inventive, you would possibly look for inventive sparks extra and thus discover them. So it’s clever to maintain a little bit of skepticism. I deal with microdosing as only one device within the toolbox: useful, however not miraculous.
Take into account that not everybody ought to or can microdose. Some individuals I do know tried it and felt nothing in any respect, or felt delicate nervousness as an alternative of calm. Mind chemistry is private. Plus, it’s clearly a no-go in particular jobs (say, something with heavy equipment or public security).
