How to Build a Silicon Valley Network
Last week, we welcomed 35 Canadian founders to San Francisco as part of an experiment in velocity called Game On. More than a third of the founders had never been to the Bay Area before, so we spent a good chunk of time helping them get acquainted with the unique culture and etiquette of the world’s preeminent tech ecosystem.
One of the big questions our founders had during week one was how to get to know quality people while in San Francisco. Here are some of the top tips for “breaking into Silicon Valley”, as shared by our speakers:
Leverage Your “Expat Network”
Michael Buhr, Executive Director, C100
As a former founder and the current executive director of the Canada’s tech expat network in Silicon Valley, Michael has been helping visiting Canadians build their San Francisco networks for more than 20 years. His number one piece of advice is to leverage that network to bootstrap local connections.
“Almost everyone in the Bay Area came from somewhere else — a different city, state or country,” shared Michael at the start of Game On. “And most everyone here genuinely wants to help. Reach out to people who grew up where you did and you’ll be amazed what happens.”
“If you reach out to a Canadian living in the Bay Area with a cold email or DM that starts with ‘I’m from Canada,’ 99% of the time you’ll get a response.”
Doing your homework before arriving in the Bay Area and looking up people you want to meet from the same city, school or former employer can give you a leg up when landing in Silicon Valley.
Follow Up Right Away
Ramneet Sran, Consul and Head of Office, Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco
The head of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service in San Francisco, Ramneet Sran, emphasized follow-up in her advice,
“Try to follow-up with everyone you meet the same day. Don’t wait until tomorrow or next week or until you get home — they’ll forget about you by then.
Silicon Valley moves so quickly that one of the best things you can do is to simply make sure that there’s an email or text in their inbox before they go to bed.”
Even VCs have to remind themselves to do this
Do Things That Keep You Top of Mind
Tom Charman, CEO and Cofounder, Blok
Tom Charman has built multiple companies in the U.K., Germany and the U.S. He encouraged founders to find creative ways to stay top-of-mind, even when you aren’t in Silicon Valley,
“It’s easy to add people to your mailing list, but there’s so much more you can do,” he offered. “If you’re creating company swag, make extra and send it to the VCs, founders and other people in San Francisco you’re trying to build relationships with. For years, I’ve made a point of sending personalized Christmas cards to everyone I want to get to know.”
“Almost nobody does that anymore, so it really sticks out.”
Treat Your Visit Like a Vacation
Hiten Shah, CEO and Cofounder, Crazy Egg
Multi-time founder and prolific investor Hiten Shah offered this seemingly counterintuitive advice to visiting founders,
“Use every visit to the Bay like a vacation from your default settings.”
Hiten’s not suggesting that you kick it on Ocean Beach with a bonfire and a beer (though that can certainly be fun). Rather, it’s about being open to change and putting everything on the table,
“Go back with more urgency than you arrived with.”
Have a Plan
Clayton Bryan, Partner, 500 Global
Clayton Bryan has welcomed thousands of founders to San Francisco over the past decade. His advice was to make sure that you have a plan before trying to meet people,
“Too many founders spend their time in San Francisco all over the place,” he shared. “They’ll take our database of mentors and email every single one, without rhyme or reason. Or they’ll go to every single party and meetup they can…just because. That might fill your calendar with meetings, but it won’t move your business along.”
He encouraged founders to be clear on their goals and intentional about how they spend their time in the Bay Area,
“Who are you trying to meet? What are you trying to achieve? It’s cool to go to parties, but if you’re doing it for work, what will you consider a success?”
(If you want some tips specifically on how to get the most out of networking events, check out this post.)
Visit Often
Ian MacKinnon, Cofounder, Stingray Security
When Ian MacKinnon was building Later.com, he took full advantage of the fact that the company’s headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia was only a 2-hour flight from San Francisco.
“I would regularly take the earliest flight down in the morning, go to investor or other meetings in Silicon Valley, and be back home in time for bed.”
By showing up in person periodically, you stay top of mind and build deeper relationships than you would if your interactions were entirely over Zoom.
“Plus, over time people will forget that you aren’t actually based in SF. Which is a huge advantage.”
For more ideas on what to do when you first land in San Francisco / Silicon Valley, check out these posts:
