A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of heading out to Mountain View and walking straight into our pitch with Dave McClure and Paul Singh of 500 Startups.

My partner in (startup) crime, Aaron Dragushan, talked for a few minutes about how FastCustomer solves the problem of waiting on hold for customer service, then described what awesomeness we’re going to make happen on our way to making customer service experiences *not* suck for all of eternity.

The whole thing was a total rush — with a super awesome outcome — that lasted fewer than 15 minutes. But what surprised and amazed me was that the energy I felt during and immediately following our own pitch didn’t dissipate for a full three days while I worked from 500′s offices.

In short, the vibe was incredible.

The office environment and inhabitants seemed constantly iterative and transient; only the gorgeous view of the valley and substantive, positive conversations with strangers-turned-friends were constants within the space. The furniture, pockets of people, speakers, and mentor office hours ebbed and flowed from morning until late into the night.

Outside. Not even remotely doing justice to the view.

Inside. c/o Alex Baldwin (@alexbaldwin) of console.fm

Fortunately, I had been invited to give a talk on content while there, which I did on Wednesday afternoon. I was told to plan for a couple hours of talking one-on-one with founders about the content on their websites and apps.

An invigorating six hours later, I finished my last discussion and called it a rewarding night. What’s more, I’m now a mentor for 500, so I get to go BACK.

I’ve never experienced such a dynamic environment in my life. I believe it’s the kind of place where words like “creative,” “unique,” and “innovation” are actually apropos.