I’ve spoken to over 100 founders over the previous 18 months concerning the execs and cons of transferring to San Francisco (SF), so I made a decision to compile the whole lot into this submit.
Why it’s value transferring to SF?
Firstly, SF is just not for everybody. SF is for probably the most formidable and pushed folks on the planet. It’s the foremost leagues for startups.
You’ll discover the best focus of nice founders, nice engineers, and nice traders anyplace on the planet. However what’s much less apparent till you spend time right here, is how open individuals are. To many, San Francisco welcomes you with open arms and is the closest expertise I’ve needed to hostel tradition.
For those who’re a founder, being right here will increase your floor space for luck. Not simply because there’s extra capital, however as a result of everybody round you is making an attempt to construct one thing formidable. That form of setting rewires your sense of what’s regular.
For those who’re an engineer, the compensation displays the density of alternative – 2.5 instances what you’d earn in Australia, however the true worth is what you be taught from the folks you encompass your self with.
On the advice of Julia French, I got here to SF to go to for 2 and a half months as a result of I wished to be taught from one of the best on the planet. I left having performed that, but in addition with three tight circles of buddies and a way of belonging I hadn’t felt earlier than.
At any time when somebody asks if they need to come, I inform them to attempt it for 2 or three months. The worst-case situation is you meet sensible folks and be taught so much. One of the best case is that it modifications your life, prefer it has mine!
A lay of the land
I first got here to SF in 2022 (by no means, ever San Fran). It felt like Gotham Metropolis, again then however the folks made it superior!
By the top of my two and a half months there, I didn’t wish to depart … however I ran out of cash. So don’t do this.
SF has improved so much, however it nonetheless has its issues. Sixth and Mission in SoMa and the Tenderloin are about as near “hell on earth” because it will get. The drug of selection there may be fentanyl, which leaves many individuals in a zombie-like state.
One of the best locations to reside in are North Seashore, Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, the Marina, Cow Hole, Japantown, Russian Hill, and Fort Mason.
Some locations which might be first rate embody Hayes Valley (stunning however proper subsequent to the Tenderloin), Chinatown, and the Mission (a bit tough in sure pockets, however wealthy in Mexican heritage with superb meals).
Locations which might be tremendous however just a little boring: Mission Bay, Noe Valley, NOPA, Anza Vista Internal, something west of Haight Ashbury, Potrero Hill, Union Sq./FIDI.
For those who’re a founder continually going to occasions, something south of the Mission, throughout the Bay in Oakland or Berkeley, or too far west previous Anza Vista is a bit inconvenient.
SF’s climate doesn’t actually change: fog, and a form of perpetual 15-20°C. One of the best months are August to October, however even then, deliver a coat when the solar goes down.
Cool locations: Castro (Homosexual district), Haight Ashbury (Hippie, weed-smoking space), Fisherman’s Wharf (it’s a vacationer lure, however I prefer it)
Lastly, “Silicon Valley” is named the South Bay like Palo Alto, Mountain View, and so forth. Younger folks don’t actually reside there as a result of there’s nothing to do.
You would possibly get invited to a couple occasions and it’s value going simply to test it out through the Caltrain and go to the Stanford campus over a weekend (it’s stunning) however for a visit targeted on assembly folks and getting immersed within the vitality, you’ll wish to base your self within the metropolis.
Earlier than you get right here
SF is unbelievable however it’s not for everybody so for those who’re contemplating transferring right here, come right here on an ESTA – Digital System for Journey Authorisation. Usually you’ll be spending greater than $3k AUD per thirty days. Once I did my first SF journey I did it on a budget and nonetheless spent $6k AUD in two and a half months. For those who don’t have the means, save earlier than coming. Doing SF on a budget is mentally taxing (belief me, I’ve performed it!)
For those who don’t have an account on X dot com the the whole lot app then get one ASAP. Turn into a reply man and make buddies so that you’re not touching down in SF and twiddling your thumbs.
Individuals to observe:
There’s extra I’ve missed, however these folks will typically be probably the most informative/useful.
Attain out to folks on LinkedIn who reside in SF as effectively.
For those who’re a founder, there’s a base degree of data anticipated. Rewatch Learn how to begin a startup by YC, not only one video, undergo each related video to you. Being ready issues.
Lodging: Get an invitation to Listing SF and attempt to get right into a Hacker/Founder Home for those who’re a founder. I reside at Atmos however there are many them round. The folks you encompass your self with will form your expertise greater than town itself. Be round one of the best so you possibly can grow to be one of the best, however don’t be pretentious about it.
There’s additionally an Aussies in SF Group Chat on WhatsApp run by the unbelievable Annie Liao !
Founders – SF IRL is an superior solution to make buddies however most individuals who go to those occasions are in the identical boat as you. You wish to get an “in” with folks to get invited to extra unique occasions, see networking chapter under.
Meetup.com was instructed by Mick & Geoff, however sadly doesn’t work anymore.
Lastly, set a transparent purpose to your journey. Ninety days goes by quick. Don’t anticipate instantaneous outcomes. The worth lies in relationships and expertise. Melanie and Cliff from Canva got here 3 times earlier than elevating their Seed spherical. Mike from Atlassian failed a few instances earlier than discovering traction. I personally raised solely $50k USD on my first journey so don’t stress if it doesn’t prove the best way you deliberate.
You’ll overestimate what you possibly can obtain in a 12 months and underestimate what you possibly can obtain in 10!
Once you arrive
Give your self a day to recover from jet lag earlier than leaping into conferences. You wish to just be sure you’re showcasing your finest self in each assembly you may have.
Get a neighborhood SIM card. AT&T and T-Cell are each tremendous. I exploit T-Cell; they’re not good, however they’re low-cost, LOL.
Uber/Lyft is fairly moderately priced for brief distances; you’d be shocked. For those who’re on a finances, the e-scooters and bikes are a great mode of transportation.
Dealer Joe’s is fairly priced, however you’ll find yourself buying at no matter is closest in the long run. I like to recommend stepping into the behavior of grocery buying from the get-go to save cash, significantly for those who’re right here for a very long time. Complete Meals is extra dear however more healthy.
For those who get a private checking account, I like to recommend Chase. I did a number of analysis, Chase is the best to arrange and work with. Right here’s a referral code.
For transferring cash, Smart, Up, and many of the Australian neobanks work effectively. For those who’re a founder, Airwallex is great for dealing with enterprise funds. When you begin paying your self in USD, get a Mercury account!
Issues I like
My favorite factor to do is to lease an e-bike and trip by way of Golden Gate Park to observe the sundown at Ocean Seashore.
My second favorite factor is to get the ferry to Sausalito, it’s so stunning, positively an awesome place for a date in case your important different comes to go to or an awesome place to take a hinge date for those who’ve met a pair instances earlier than.
The meals right here is nice if you understand the place to go.
I’m not going to place collectively an enormous meals checklist simply obtain: The Michelin Information.
A couple of staples: Tony’s Pizzeria, go early there shall be a one hour wait, then go for a stroll round North Seashore or get a drink at a bar. El Farolito, has some nice Mexican! RT Rotisserie for my extra health-conscious health club bros and at last Thai Spice, has most likely one of the best Thai within the metropolis.
Usually, Chinese language and Thai meals is worse right here than in Sydney however the Japanese & Mexican meals is healthier, in my view.
I don’t drink espresso however everybody raves about Saint Frank’s. South Park Bluebottle is the well-known one which alot of VC’s go to. Nonetheless, Jackson Sq. is changing into extra stylish so may be value bouncing round for those who’re searching for some serendipity
Waymo’s are cool and enjoyable, it’s best to trip in a single – if you’d like $10 off, click on right here.
Once I exit, I at all times appear to finish up within the Marina, particularly Balboa Cafe (which I’ve a love/hate relationship with). Pretty espresso martini’s, however there’s a ton of bars within the marina, so you possibly can leap round if want be. The Marina, North Seashore and The Mission have loads of good bars however the whole lot closes at 3 a.m. For those who can, go to an SF Home Occasion, it’s the closest factor you’ll expertise to a fever dream!
Go to Dolores Park on a good looking Sunday afternoon, you’ll get supplied medication inside quarter-hour, however it’s nice to people-watch and absorb the solar. Usually, the parks right here rock!
Vital observe about ‘networking’ in particular person
Aussies have a superb fame right here… don’t fuck it up. Don’t be transactional. Don’t clout chase (ask somebody who they raised from, how huge their firm is, what stage of their firm they’re at, and so forth inside the first two minutes of assembly folks).
A variety of transient People do that, and everybody who truly lives right here hates it. That is the one place on the planet the place standing is tied to the success of your startup, so you find yourself with a number of wannabe founders — and these are the sorts of conversations you end up having with them.
Don’t fall into this lure. Be real, be Australian.
What I normally do is ask the place somebody’s from, the place they went to varsity (I discover the American school system fascinating — there are nerdy ones, sporty ones, celebration ones, and so forth.), and why they moved to SF. It’s a straightforward place to begin if there aren’t different rabbit holes to go down.
Madison Kanna sums this up very effectively. I personally nonetheless see worth within the huge events however that is one thing Jayden Clark and I’ve spoken about at size since we arrived.
Reaching out to folks on-line
I’ve had lots of people attain out to me, saying “X instructed me to attach with you as I’m on the town, I’d like to catch as much as be taught extra concerning the market” or some generic shit like that. Don’t do this, the particular person might be actually busy. You are able to do 1 of the next:
- Try to work in a while while they’re doing one thing they do anyway. E.g. Gymnasium, stroll, run.
- For those who’re much less bodily inclined and also you don’t know a lot about them personally, attempt: “Hey X, heard you’re a beast at [thing you need help with]. I’m at present experiencing y drawback and would love to speak with you as I’m in SF for a few weeks engaged on [startup name].”
Instance: “Hey Brian, heard you’re a beast at fundraising. I’ve seen you guys acquired funded by a16z and would like to see in the event that they’d be a great match for us. Would love to speak with you as I’m in SF for a pair weeks engaged on Airbnb – a market for short-term accomodation.”
I’m trying to elevate cash for my startup
Elevating funding in SF takes time. Many, many individuals message me saying they wish to come right here for just a few weeks to boost a spherical. You’ll fail. Don’t do that. It takes a minimal of two months and even that comes with a excessive probability of failure.
Preparation and community are the whole lot. My good friend Alisa Rae , raised efficiently after months of groundwork. She’d constructed a powerful community on Twitter, had a profitable exit at 21 and adopted the steps I discussed within the “earlier than you get right here” part. She’s an unbelievable founder!
The principle antidote to the above is doing a YC or a16z speedrun, however you’d be transferring to SF for these packages anyway.
You want intro’s to get funding within the US so make buddies on-line earlier than you progress right here and launch your self a few weeks earlier than your journey. Once you meet with somebody, ask if they’ll introduce you to a few different folks (cc: Mick Liubinskas)
While you might be right here you wish to attempt to get “adopted” by somebody who’s on the “inside”. This may be a good friend or a mentor who might help go into bat for you. For Airbnb, this was Michael Siebel. For Canva, this was Invoice Tai . So for those who aren’t in a hacker home, be proactive in making an attempt to create real connections to make this a actuality.
Most traders can even anticipate you to maneuver right here. Many individuals attempt to do the entire “come to SF simply to boost” and for those who don’t have a very good reply as to why you’re not transferring to SF, traders received’t take you significantly.
Considerations folks have
- Politics – Nobody talks extra about American politics than annoying People who you don’t wish to hang around with – and Australians visiting the US. Everyone seems to be fairly regular right here and normally leaves all their views on-line, so it seems alot worse than it’s. I barely speak about American politics.
- Courting – It’s nice! There are extra males than ladies in SF, however the metropolis is numerous sufficient for all walks of life to search out somebody. The principle complaints you see are individuals who go to tech events the place there are 10 ladies and 90 males. These do occur however when you discover a good, numerous crew of individuals, you don’t expertise this. I’ve solely been to one-two of those events.
- Tradition – The folks of SF work tougher than Australians however there’s room for enjoyable too. For those who’re searching for a great time, you will discover one. I certain do! Make buddies with folks you vibe with; individuals are very accepting to newcomers. Very totally different to Sydney’s ‘you’re solely buddies with folks you went to highschool with and first 12 months uni’ vibe. I personally favor it. Persons are extremely pleasant!
- Climate – Some folks adore it, that is most likely my least favorite a part of town. Appears equal to Melbourne climate temperature-wise, which I don’t like as a Sydney boy. Nonetheless, it’s much less unstable, barely ever rains. Don’t actually have an answer for this. Greatest time of 12 months is between August and November however at all times deliver a coat.
- Security – I’m not going to misinform you, SF is extra harmful than Sydney. The reality is, reside within the locations that I really helpful above, and you’ll be safer.
- Visa stuff – For the primary stint, get an ESTA and don’t stay in America even an hour longer than three months, in any other case you’re going to get banned from returning. They don’t fuck round right here. I’m on an E3 and spoke with a ton of attorneys. One of the best within the sport is Sherwin. It took him about 4 weeks to get from my first assembly with him and so they have been tremendous skilled. I requested Sherwin if he might share his calendar with different Australians for this weblog and he has graciously performed so: Meet with Sherwin. My unsolicited recommendation – I like to recommend the E3 over the O1. $4k AUD each two years vs. round $25k AUD each three years. You may also regularly renew an E3, however I’m not a lawyer and everyone seems to be totally different, so be happy to speak with Sherwin!
Good luck!
For those who’ve acquired thus far, congratulations, I want you one of the best in your journey!
You probably have any additional questions that I haven’t coated, I shall be making edits to this submit so be happy to DM me or touch upon this authentic submit!
Really helpful readings that helped me:
- Ben Kennedy is the founder & CEO of Gecko Rental Software program – an ai-powered working system for gear rental companies. He moved to San Francisco in August 2024.
NOW LISTEN: Lightning Ventures founder Dave McManus on transferring to Silicon Valley to grow to be a startup founder
Keep forward of the curve with NextBusiness 24. Discover extra tales, subscribe to our e-newsletter, and be part of our rising group at nextbusiness24.com
