Visiting Silicon Valley? 18 must-read tips for first-timers

I’ve been through the grind of first starting up a venture in Singapore and then taking it to the US for market expansion and career exposure. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

But it’s something to aspire towards if it’s the best thing for your startup. Here’s what I learned during the journey of taking my company to the US. You can keep them in mind too:

1. Preparation

If you’re planning to make the move, get things in place at least three months in advance and make sure you strike off the following:

• Spend sufficient time researching the events around San Francisco and Bay area.
• Prepare your objectives based on the end goals you set for your startup.
• Shortlist a list of customers, partners, investors and entrepreneurs you want to meet with.
• Seek reference introductions, connect with them on LinkedIn and email them to introduce yourself.
• Create a rough plan for meetings and events you’d like to attend, and things you want to do.

2. Duration

Understand that the ultimate objective of your trip is to get maximum exposure. San Francisco – Bay area has a large number of tech entrepreneur communities and a fast-paced ecosystem.

To get the right exposure while learning and building your network, plan to stay for at least one to three months.

3. Budget

San Francisco is an expensive city. Your travel budget depends primarily on the place you decide to stay and dine at. To have a decent lifestyle, assume a monthly living budget of US$4,000 per month, excluding airfare. And start saving for that.

4. Timing

If you’re traveling on a budget, plan your trip from November to April since there is more availability of housing during that time. May to October are filled with many events and tech conferences happening in the city. The European holidays falling during this span of time doesn’t make things any easier.

5. Flight