I just got back from my second trip to San Francisco and Silicon Valley in two weeks. It's been a whirlwind; some thoughts and photos.
0.
Above all: I have the best wife in the world. We had our first child three days before I had to leave for the first trip and she still encouraged me to go (note that I say "encourage", not "did not discourage me" from going. Big difference).
1.
If you go to work for a tech company that's run by the original founder, be prepared to be micromanaged. Steve Jobs was legendary for his focus on individual pixels, but he's not the only one. Larry Page personally approves every acquisition by Google - even if it's for a million bucks (they've got $40 billion in cash reserves). The other Larry - Ellison - of Oracle has to approve any purchase order over $100,000. And on the Kindle, Jeff Bezos is getting into the single pixel approval scene.
And as a founder, I can't fault any of them. There are some things you're never going to give up control of.
2.
As you get closer to Silicon Valley, you're encouraged to think bigger. This is a refreshing break from Vancouver where you're encouraged to think small.
When I moved to Vancouver in January and was starting to get going, I met an "entrepreneurship mentor" who told me that the best things in the world are "niche businesses: find a nice little space with no competition and print money." Nice idea, but if you're building a web-based business almost certainly not going to happen.
Moreover, I've met lots of folks in Vancouver who are aiming to build a small business that could achieve a $10 million exit. More power to them: that would be a life-changing event for the entrepreneurs and could happen - as long as you're building niche software; no way you can do that with software that's going to be on every person's device/used by millions/etc.
We met a VC in the valley who told us that he's frustrated with going up to Vancouver because people think so small.
And frankly, the odds of failing are pretty much similar depending upon what size company you're trying to build, so in my world, think big.
When you get to San Francisco, you meet folks who are thinking bigger. To them, success is defined by a company that will be worth $50-100 million in the next five years.
And then you get down to Sand Hill Road in Menlo park where, to paraphrase Linda Evangelista, no one gets out of bed for less than $100 million.
3.
For the uninitiated, Sand Hill Road is where almost all the VCs in Silicon Valley have offices. It's a tiny little strip of land and it controls billions of dollars of money to be invested; likely more than the rest of the world combined.
When you get there, it's a remarkably uninspiring place. Think taupe, two-storey office parks that all looked like they were designed by the same insipid architect. Most of the offices themselves are just empty space: meeting rooms and almost ostentatiously large offices. Most of the buildings are shared by many different firms and, curiously, the bathrooms tend to be outside the offices themselves. (I can't help but wonder if the perk of partnership is the key to a secret indoor bathroom).
It's only the cars in the parking lot that give you a clue as to the value of what takes place here. Don't be surprised to see a Ferrari or a Tesla roadster - although, on average, there are fewer luxury cars than I see crossing the Burrard Bridge on a daily basis (why are there so many luxury cars in Vancouver? And why are they driven so badly?).
Also, 3000 Sand Hill road is probably the place in America where you're most likely to see a billionaire. One of the highlights of my trip was watching one tell off a friend of mine. Upon asking a guy who he thought was a nobody (but unbeknownst to him was one of the most successful investors ever) how much a Tesla roadster costs, he was zinged "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford one." It was funny (although maybe you had to be there).
4.
Silicon Valley in general is remarkably banal; it actually feels like a giant strip mall mixed into the suburbs. Only occasionally does a crazy high tech campus pop out at you and remind you that, oh yeah, everything piece of technology you use both today and in the future is created here.
5.
Biggest piece of advice I got: move to San Francisco. People outside the area think you're crazy to start a company anywhere but the Valley. Time will tell if this is right or not.
6.
On my flight out we flew over the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge was sticking out of the fog which spilled out to Alcatraz and then evaporated, leaving the city centre to glow in the sun. Incredible view; wished I'd had a window seat to take a photo.
7.
And now, some photos. Traveling with an iPhone and some running shoes means that you can actually see a lot of things - although just from the outside.
