Silicon Valley RevealedInsiders tips on where go, what to see, who to speak to, how to get around & where to stay.

Thursday, 18 October 12

Housekeeping

• Brief presentations

• Panel session / Q&A

• Pizza, beers & networking ~7pm

Thursday, 18 October 12

Thursday, 18 October 12

Thursday, 18 October 12

Thursday, 18 October 12

Appreciation

• Our sponsor, Fragomen (beers & pizza)

• Anthony Painter (inspiration)

• Steve Baxter (for RCL, without whom ...)

Thursday, 18 October 12

What’s this?(Most ‘first time’ Aussie entrepreneurs see a cow.)

Thursday, 18 October 12

Not what you think!(Americans on the other hand see the possibilities ... understanding the cultural differences is important,

so get on a plane and spend time in the Valley.)

Thursday, 18 October 12

Before you go

• Got your passport? (passports.gov.au)

• Visa Waiver for Australian nationals, 90 days

• ESTA (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/)

• Work out why you want to go and set very clear, actionable, achievable objectives

Thursday, 18 October 12

Being contactable

• AT&T & T-Mobile networks are compatible with most Australian handsets

• But ... use a MVNO (e.g. H2Owireless, which uses AT&T’s network)

• MVNOs tend to offer more flexible data plans than the provider networks do themselves.

Thursday, 18 October 12

Getting around

• Zipcar (awesome for spontaneous meetings)

• Hire car (better for long-term hire)

• Caltrain & BART, public rail for getting around the Valley

• Muni, public buses for getting around SF

Thursday, 18 October 12

A place for your head

• Hotels, $$$ >$200/night

• Airbnb, $ >$50/night (+ great way to bump into others with a gig in tech)

• Startup House, in beta ... <$50/night (next door to StartupHQ)

Thursday, 18 October 12

Finding a desk

• StartupHQ, SF (startuphq.com) * RCL deal, 2 weeks use of shared space; this is a great space and worth considering for a longer-term desk

• NestGSV, SV (www.nestgsv.com)

• NextSpace ($20/day temporary)

• desksnear.me, loosecubes.com, et al.

Thursday, 18 October 12

Finding a bite

• In & Out Burger

• Ricks Prime (San Mateo)

• Tin Vietnamese (Howard Street, SOMA)

• Café Venetia in Palo Alto (Thiel hangs there … sometimes)

• Creamery in SOMA (Arrington hangs there … sometimes too)

Thursday, 18 October 12

Advice

• Invest ~$3000 (all in inc. flights, buys you ~2 weeks)

• Get on a plane, connect, suss the culture

• If you don’t have and can’t raise $3k you’re not going to raise the capital that will make a difference to your business. Stop now.

Thursday, 18 October 12