The Idea Guy

Nathan Tyler may be known as “the hottest guy at Google” on the Silicon Valley gossip blog Valleywag (formerly the company’s PR manager, he still works as a communications consultant there), but the 38-year-old is more concerned with other temperature-related issues—such as global warming.

Tyler was inspired to start Lights Out SF while on a trip to Australia last year—there, he experienced Sydney’s “Earth Hour,” dining by candlelight near the city’s opera house and admiring its darkened silhouette. “Sydney got 2.2 million people to participate,” he says. “I thought, this would perfect for San Francisco.”

In addition to encouraging people to swear off using nonessential energy on October 20, Lights Out will distribute free compact fluorescent lightbulbs—PG&E has promised to donate up to 100,000 of them. “All you have to do is turn your lights out for an hour and install one CFL in your house. It’s a simple opportunity for anybody—even if you’re driving four Suburbans.”

If Lights Out works here, the Cow Hollow resident has big plans: “Our goal is to create a template that cities throughout the nation can use. The idea is to do a nationwide competition.” After all, a Saturday-night blackout does have its advantages, he reminds us: “Good things happen in the dark—wink, wink.”

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Q&A

Any Google search success stories?
Being in the marketing department at Google, we would get emails from people who have found lost loved ones—parents, brothers, sisters…really meaningful stuff! We also got a lot of health-related stories. A friend of mine was at the doctors’, and they couldn’t figure out what his condition was. It was pretty serious, and he spent some time searching on Google, found some info that he thought might be related and shared it with his doctor. It totally changed his treatment and could’ve saved his life. That’s huge.

What was the most flattering part of the “Nate Tyler is the hottest man at Google” blog?
There was one: “Nate Tyler is to sexy as Chuck Norris is to lethal.” It’s really flattering, and it’s not true.

If you weren’t the hottest guy at Google, then who is/was?
Everybody knows that Eric Schmidt is the hottest guy at Google—and that’s on the record.

Hottest thing about living in SF?
Surfing beautiful waves and skiing deep powder in the same weekend.

What’s the one thing you would change about SF?
I would bring New Haven, CT, pizza to San Francisco. Full disclosure: I grew up in New Haven.

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