Why I am positively surprised by the US Americans

Having arrived here with typical European preconceptions towards the US folks, I am getting surprised over and over again.


Well, I haven’t been around during the Vietnam era, but I remember this progressing slowly since at least 9/11 and the subsequent Iraq invasion: the constant decline of the reputation of US Americans.

Lets be honest, there are prejudices for every country and culture, and I won’t even start making examples like the Russians are always drunk and the Austrians keep their children in cellars.

Instead, lets have a quick look at the typical things you associate Americans with. For a starter, what is a typical American anyway?

In the eyes of an average Central European, that apparently is a gunslinging redneck who does not know the difference between Austria and Australia.

 

One per cent ignorance ratio = Not too bad

Ok, fair enough, I did meet a total of three people who I told that I was from Austria and who replied: “You mean Australia, right?” No kidding.

But hey, that is actually not too bad: Three out of at least three hundred leaves us with a one per cent ignorance ratio – and that is actually pretty damn good. I mean, have you ever tried walking up to the average guy in Bad Gastein or Kritzendorf and asking him: “Hey buddy, can you refresh my mind, Sacramento is the capital of?” Good luck with that. (Not to mention that he’d most likely not understand you if you spoke English).

Sure – they say – we have to keep in mind that his is the Silicon Valley, full of the very brightest and best educated people on the globe. And is best not to being confused with Midwest America, where the actual gunslinging rednecks hang around their Dodge pickups.

 

“How are you today?” & “Have a great day!”

I’m not sure if its the Californian weather – today its sunny, duh, its always sunny – or if people here are just genuinely nicer, but the difference to the near-famous impoliteness of Austrian’ bartenders is mind-blowing.

I have actually been warned about this by fellow Europeans. “You know,” they said, “everything is much more shallow. Everyone smiles all the time, but its only on the surface.” Duh. Of course it is. But simply adding this – not just polite, but friendly – smile to every interaction with strangers makes your life so much nicer and everyone happier.

So might this be as shallow as it likes, it is something a lot of Europeans could really learn something from.

 

Republican Creationists…

… are something that I was really afraid off. No kidding, they are like the one species you cannot, and usually don’t want to, argue with. Now, somehow – I believe I know how – they have become some if not the most feared stereotype of US American idiocracy. And I have not encountered a single one! Hurray!

Ok, to give them some credits, I did encounter one proud Republican. And the following discussion was hilarious. Let us not disclose his identity and simply call him Bob. Bob is a well educated and fairly wealthy man in his mid-fifties. The following argument is just an example from our discussion, it  might sound a bit ridiculous but did actually take place:

Bob: “Did you know that during Obama’s administration, he and his family have spent more money on going on holidays that any other president so far? They spent millions of taxpayers money to go to Hawaii with his whole family, on taxpayers money!”

Me: “Well, ok, but you do realize that during the previous two administrations Billions of Billions of taxpayers money have been spent on pointless wars, or that Bush’s tax cuts for the super-rich have cost society many more Billions that are now missing?”

Bob: “Sure, I know, that was stupid. But the holidays are taking place now!”

…

Well, I’m not going to publish an entire transcript of our discussion, partly because I wouldn’t want to write his repeated argument “Now for me as a Christian…” and “I as a Catholic…” five times. Btw, I love when these guys bring up stuff like this to a political discussion and disqualify themselves. (Not to mention that this made the discussion particularly funny because he was, after all, defending a Mormon.)

Now, don’t take this the wrong way, there are idiots everywhere. The one thing you should remember after reading this is, how long it took me to find someone like this. Because after all, that really is a good sign. Consider this: how long would it take you to find some small minded xenophobe right-wing voter in Austria?

Thinking about the current 25 per cent estimate of the FPÖ.. well, not very long, or am I wrong?

 

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The myth of spending a couple of weeks in the Valley to meet them all, know it all, have it all.

Once and for all clearing out the wrong impression that spending a couple of weeks in the Silicon Valley will make you a Valley-Veteran.

It seems that especially in Central Europe there seems to be the notion that spending a month of two in Sunnyvale or Cupertino will push your newly launched startup to the next level and introduce your company to an audience of unchallenged proportions.

Sure, if you’re name is Sean Parker. If not, you’re one of a tens of thousands or young entrepreneurs who equally believe in the value of their product and all equally fight for a chance to get a droplet of attention by people like, well, Sean Parker.

Don’t get me wrong – not every VC, Angel, Mentor, Serial Entrepreneur or C-Level Exec lives a life like Sean Parker, flying around with his corporate helicopter only to launch his next startup at a live video conference with Mark Zuckerberg.

But the better the people are at what they do, the busier they are. That means that you might quickly discover that the people who are most easiest going to give you an opportunity to meet them, are also often the least useful to meet.

 

After living in the Valley for about six weeks, I am now only begging to understand how this ecosystem functions. And whatever you thought about it and all the experience you gained, forget it. You have to start over.

 

So, what is it that I learned so far?

For once, it does not matter how many people you know. The only thing that matters is how many people know you.

The Valley is not necessarily a fair place. Sure, everyone has an equal chance to build a great product and attract customers. But some project are easier to be realized with limited funds, others are not. And if you’ve successfully had three exists behind you, VCs are obviously much more likely to through some money at you, even if you’re product sucks big time.

This exceeds beyond the simple track rate of your startup history. It has to do with your corporate or professional history in general. Lets say you’ve spend the past decade working in M&A out of Paris and you’re now launching your new startup in the Valley, obviously you’ll have a much easier way of accessing the private equity market and raising funds.

Now what does that mean for everyone else like you and me, who is merely at the beginning of his professional career? Primarily that it takes time. Which isn’t really surprising, as you cannot fast forward a decade in networking and relationship building.

Most of the people here will tell you that it you are making great progress if you manage to mean just one really valuable person per week – provided that you have at least ten times as many meetings because, let’s be honest, it’s only one it ten that will really get you forward.

However, that is really not a reason to give up hope! Keep in mind that you just need to convince a few people playing in the upper league about the value of your product, and with a little luck, you will be able to benefit from their decade of networking.

So far, I’ve been extremely lucky to meet a few such people, and the nine out of ten meetings that don’t really got me anywhere, are finally beginning to pay off.

 

Where does all that lead? 

Essentially that it is a grave mistake to believe that you can visit the Valley for a couple of weeks and even a couple of months in order to achieve some great success stories. Sure, some do, but thats the exception. So take your time. And if don’t have time, make sure that you make the time. Otherwise don’t even bother.

I hope this post is not going to put you off of your travel plans – I’m writing this because  I’ve met quite a few people by now, who have been here for a week or two, or even a month or two, and have then returned home utterly disappointed. This is not how it works, so don’t be surprised!

 

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Conquering one’s weaker self

How to get your work done, even in times of Facebook and Starbucks.

I’ll be honest with you, I might not be the best person to write about this because its not like I’ve accomplished a great deal in this area. Its actually more like work in progress.

One could say, I’m writing about my own work in progress to remind myself of the work that is still ahead of me. And accepting that there is more work to be done, is always a good start and a valuable first step, I guess.

The most simple task is usually to identify your challenges. In my case, these are Procrastination, Distractions and Laziness.

 

Procrastination

To quote Wikipedia, “In psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one derives enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.” Wow, I could not have said it any better.

I’m not sure about you, but I do that a lot. You know what helps me to get back on track? Thinking about it, I’m not even sure. I guess it has something to do with the fact that each time I switch from the work I should be doing to something that is more interesting and perhaps a little entertaining, it really only takes me a moment or two to get this bad, nagging feeling that clearly reminds me of the tasks I should be doing.

 

Distractions

Are really the worst. I am particularly affected by them as my abilities in saying “no” to someone asking me to join for, let’s say, a cup of coffee are limited to non existent. I’m really not sure about the reasons, but I guess it has to do with the fact that my abilities decline pretty much anything are very limited. I actually remember my teacher many years ago who had made getting her pupils abilities to say “no” as her personal goal. Well, no wonder she stopped teaching.

Laziness

Is the most easiest to conquer. Laziness, in my opinion, often has to do with limited energy. You know, lying around, thinking about how tired you are and thereby becoming even more tired? I sure as hell know this very well from my own personal experiences. And its really like a devils cycle, because staying in bed just makes you more tired.

The cure however is often surpassingly simple, its also actually a bit of a paradox. First, its really for the most part of it only happening in your head. Sure, there are some times when you are just really, really physically exhausted from many hours of sport. But usually, its really just in your head. And you realize that the instant you get up and get going.

Mens sana in corpore sano.

Now the paradox is that you have to burn energy in order to have more energy. Obviously, doing sports really is the best way. Its really surprising, you’d think that we’ve only got a limited amount of power or energy available, and that it would be stupid to spend it on something theoretically unproductive as running on a treadmill. But then you actually realize that you end up with more power on the next day than you started with! Super strange, isn’t it?

 

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Transportation / How to get from one place to the other

The Valley isn't your average city and getting around isn't that easy.

Well, this is the USA, so if you think you’ll get very far by walking, you’re most definitely mistaken. From what I’ve found out so far, there are five main ways of transportation around here:

1. CalTrain

In my opinion, the CalTrain is what gets you the furthest in terms of public transport. It goes all the way from SF down to Gilroy and beyond. It connects all important towns that together create the famous Silicon Valley, like Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Palo Alto and Mountain View to name just a few. The ride from Palo Alto to SF is 6,75 USD and takes about an hour, but if you make it, there are “bullet trains” going like twice a day which pass only at the important stops and get you to the city in under half an hour.

2. MUNI

The MUNI is SF’s public transport system. It includes the closest SF has to an underground or metro, which is, compared to London and even Vienna, a bit of a joke. It only has like three dozen stations or so which could probably fit inside Zone 1 (of 6) of London underground. Nevertheless, its what gets you around in SF.

Muni operates approximately 80 routes throughout San Francisco with stops within 2 blocks of 90% of all residences in the city. Operating Historic streetcars, modern light rail vehicles, diesel buses, alternative fuel vehicles, electric trolley coaches, and the world famous cable cars, Muni’s fleet is among the most diverse in the world.

3. BART

I can only tell you so much about the “Bay Area Rapid Transport” that it got me from SFO airport to downtown SF. Its a quite funny train like system and it connects SF with the eastern areas like Oakland etc.

4. Cars

Well, as you might have already imagined, cars are by far American main form of transportation. Fuel is cheap – about half of what I’m used to from Europe. Parking in SF is fairly expensive, about the same as back home.

If you should find yourself looking for a parking spot in SF, keep in mind that they have very specific rules about the direction you have to point your front tires when you park. This has to with the fact that the streets just go up and down like crazy and like nothing I’ve ever seen  before. If you fail or forget to do this, you risk being towed away or ending up with a large fine.

I have done my best to get by without one (as explained in more detail below in the bicycle section) but if you find yourself looking to rent a car, keep in mind that it will cost you about twice as much to do this from inside one of the car rental retail stores. The cheapest way is to actually rent your car online through a European branch and more or less send the funds to the leasing company in Germany or Austria.

5. Bicycle

This is the most important one and my main form of transportation. It is tough and sometimes a bit of a challenge because most of the roads have yet to add bicycle lains, but in defense of California I have to admit that there are apparently more and more bike lanes being set up and bicycling as a form of transportation is in it self seemingly gaining more and more fans and participants.

The trains all have special bike wagons and you will find both bike shops and places to securely lock and leave your bike in most of the places here. Finding a bicycle however is an entirely different matter, and one with that I can not really help you as I was just incredibly lucky in finding a great roommate who would not only lend me his car when necessary but also gradually allow me to use his bike on a daily basis.

From what I’ve seen so far, it really depends on where you are living and how you want to get by. For me, the decision of trying to get by with a bicycle was based on the fact that I was trying to spend as little money as possible – and renting a car will definitely add an additional expense of at least 25 to 60 USD per day.

Quite a lot of money, if you ask me.

Not to mention that it is one of the few things where I am able to have a bit of workout, as most of us spend the entire day behind a computer or in coffee shops, bars or restaurants meeting people. I understand that a lot of people don’t really have the choice and have to rely on their cars, but if anyway possible, try to rent a place that is close enough to your office to cycle there.

Always remember: “Your car runs on money and makes you fat, by bike runs on fat and saves me money.”

Image: http://www.metrojacksonville.com

My Very First Steps

Imagine that I've just arrived at SFO airport


You might be someone who likes to meticulously plan every little step ahead. In my case and based on my extensive experiences in traveling and moving, I like to arrive somewhere knowing that I have somewhere to stay for the first couple of nights, and then slowly find my way around town and get a better picture of what is actually going on.

This is also exactly how I’ve (not) planned a lot in regard to my arrival in the Valley. I was lucky enough to find friends of friends who would offer me a couch to sleep on for a couple of nights – this was basically the only thing I really knew for certain when I boarded my plane in Vienna and left for Heathrow, London, where I would stay for a few hours and get transferred on my next flight to San Francisco Airport.

Arriving at SFO airport was an amazing experience in itself. I had left Vienna at around 6:30am and my plane touched down in California at around 2:15pm. However, my entire journey took for about 16 hours, so back at home (and in my mind) it was around midnight when I finally steps out of the airport and saw the bright sun and the blue sky for the first time which has since then kept my company for pretty much every day.

It was actually the first time I’ve experienced a proper jetlagg and I have to admit, it felt as if my brain was only running on about 60 per cent capacity. If at all. With this in mind you can maybe imagine how confused I was looking around the airport, trying to figure out the best and cheapest way to get to downtown SF. The answer is BART, as in Bay Area Rapid Transport, and it basically gets you right to Powell Street / Market Street, downtown San Francisco.

Image: sfoopssec.flysfo.com

A Few Words of Introduction

goinginternational, a blog to share some of the experiences of my journey across the Atlantic


Needless to say, there is a sheer endless amount of blogs and entrepreneurs writing about their experiences in in moving to the famous Silicon Valley, each one giving plenty of useful advice and information. If, by chance, you do stumble upon this blog and find my points interesting and valuable, I’d still urge you to expand your search as each and everyone is likely to make different experiences.

Additionally, my perspective is very particular, one that likely only applies to a limited number of people. Our startup is based in Vienna and my background is in some ways perhaps typically European.

What I mean is that my view on things, the people I meet and the impression I get are influenced by my background and possibly differ strongly from someone coming from a different angle or geographical region.

 

Another point I want to make is that writing this kind of content is very new for me and even though I passionately wrote for an Online Magazine some time ago, this is a totally new experience. First, I used to write about politics, events, music or art, which is all hugely different from trying to structure something much less tangible like the typical struggles of my daily life into some kind of valuable collection of advices or experiences.

Not to mention that I’ve always written in German, or, if I had to write something in English, I would often first write in German and translate it afterwards. With this blog, I am attempting leave this behind and start writing solely in English.

Among other things, I believe that this is the more authentic and stronger reflects the entire state of mind you have to push yourself into in order to make the most out of being here.

 ”I believe that Silicon Valley is truly a place of excellence and the impact of this tiny community on the world is completely disproportionate to its size. We are the undisputed leaders of technological change. But with our abundance of talent and resources, we also have the opportunity to be the pioneers of social change and, ultimately, this may be our greatest contribution.” Jeff Skoll

This said, I am now happy to welcome you to this blog and I hope that I will be able to provide some valuable insights for anyone who is thinking about moving him or his startup into the Silicon Valley.

Image: newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com