Silicon Valley

Home of the largest technology and startup community in the world
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 to Thursday, March 31, 2016

Introduction: the startups are calling

My journey to San Francisco brought me closer to the Silicon Valley. This is basically the southern part of the San Francisco Bay and of great importance to the computer industry. The name arose around forty years ago, when the silicon chip triggered the personal computer era. Today, the region is famous for its many large tech corporations as well as startups. Its influence stretches up to the heart of San Francisco. What this means, I was up to discover for myself.

San Francisco: total startup vibe in SOMA

Over the past decades, the Silicon Valley has expanded. Its legacy has overtaken an entire district of San Francisco: the so-called South Of Market (SOMA) is in firm hands of technology companies. Here, everybody is somehow related to a tech startup, is working on the next big idea or at least pumping up the skills. On every corner, you find an academy or bootcamp to boost your personality. Endless co-working spaces offer the best infrastructure and take good care of talents. This is the perfect breeding ground for innovation.

Bay Area: when startups become mature

The whole Bay Area is packed with technology companies. Along the commuter train from San Francisco to San Jose, reside the most famous startups of this century. Starting in Menlo Park (Facebook) you can easily walk through Palo Alto (Stanford University, Tesla Motors) to Mountain View (Google, Linkedin). While the townships have preserved their original charm, most corporate headquarters lie outside in sterile concrete and glass cubes. These complexes are small towns by themselves.

Networking: where the tech industry meets

Meeting interesting people from the tech industry is not difficult at all. There is an abundance of networking events and conferences. A lot of them are free and even offer food and beverages. On such events, I have met dozens of rookies as well as experts in the industry. The number of socialising tech geeks is just incredible. With this amount, it is hard to keep the quality of events and topics high. However, I am very happy with the way I spent my time.

Visiting: sneak a peek behind the curtains

Thanks to my networking, I was able to visit some offices. Most companies are quite open, once you know one or two employees. Nevertheless, I was truly honoured to get several private tours behind the security check. Every noteworthy office in the Bay Area has its own canteen with fresh food and snacks. More than once did I enjoy a delicious meal with one my new friends. My biggest highlight was the Google office on the very last day before leaving the States!

Participate: time to give something back

Every community needs active participants. As an experienced professional, I did not just want to consume what others created. After more than a decade of learning on the job, I was more than happy to commit for a pro bono consulting. I could contribute some valuable expertise to a growing startup. On the weekend, I also mentored a bunch of graduates before their entrance into the industry. My personal grand finale was a presentation at a conference.

Summary: being part of the tech community

Experiencing the new Silicon Valley spirit is overwhelming. Without any difficulties, I could enter and enjoy this fascinating world. It was a great honour and please for me to connect with the epicentre of the internet. As a lifelong user and advocate of digital and online tools, I finally met (some of) the creators and innovators. After all, it has felt a little like coming home.

It was an honour being part of this vibrant community. I will be back!

My waypoints on this journey

Angaza Design - real engagement for the worldwide poorest people without access to electricity
real engagement for the worldwide poorest people without access to electricity
Hattery Coworking Space - where many entrepreneurs are working on their revolutionary product idea
where many entrepreneurs are working on their revolutionary product idea
Developer Week Hackathon - winning a price at my very first hackathon - competing agains 100 teams
winning a price at my very first hackathon - competing agains 100 teams
UX Speed Dating (at Gandi) - testing 4 brand new apps in 90 minutes and giving valuable feedback
testing 4 brand new apps in 90 minutes and giving valuable feedback
wisdom 2.0 - Day 1 - the best conference to meet mindful and conscious people and make deep connections
the best conference to meet mindful and conscious people and make deep connections
wisdom 2.0 - Day 2 - listening to mindful and conscious speeches at the best conference in the world
listening to mindful and conscious speeches at the best conference in the world
wisdom 2.0 - Day 3 - meeting random people at a round table to discuss global issues and solutions
meeting random people at a round table to discuss global issues and solutions
Future of XD (by Adobe) - speaking with design industry leaders about the tools and apps of the future
speaking with design industry leaders about the tools and apps of the future
Launch Hackathon - building a great tool on my second hackathon, but not winning a price
building a great tool on my second hackathon, but not winning a price
DevBootcamp - choosing the right environment for coding my app for the launch hackathon
choosing the right environment for coding my app for the launch hackathon
Design Thinking (by SAP) - attending a high energy design thinking meetup with many engaged participants
attending a high energy design thinking meetup with many engaged participants
mindful UX (at Luxe) - getting fully engaged in mindful user experience design in a fun meetup
getting fully engaged in mindful user experience design in a fun meetup
Contracting (by Hired) - networking with experienced contractors and job seeking bootcamp graduates
networking with experienced contractors and job seeking bootcamp graduates
Onesie Day (at Hattery) - celebrating pyjama jumpsuits with a bunch of nerds at a co-working space is a lot of fun
celebrating pyjama jumpsuits with a bunch of nerds at a co-working space is a lot of fun
openIDEO (at d.school) - learning about FDA approval and the first software to be described by a doctor
learning about FDA approval and the first software to be described by a doctor
Googleplex (headquarters) - visiting Google's headquarter in Mountain View, the heart of the internet we know
visiting Google's headquarter in Mountain View, the heart of the internet we know
Linkedin (headquarters) - having lunch and an inspiring chat at the impressive headquarter in Mountain View
having lunch and an inspiring chat at the impressive headquarter in Mountain View
ProductSchool mentoring - sharing my experience with the next generation silicon valley product managers
sharing my experience with the next generation silicon valley product managers
Smashing Jam Session - giving a lightning talk at the opening event of the Smashing Conference
giving a lightning talk at the opening event of the Smashing Conference
Smashing Conference - updating my web design and development knowledge and network
updating my web design and development knowledge and network
Pantheon - meeting my friends at a great web hosting company for a juicy lunch
meeting my friends at a great web hosting company for a juicy lunch
Pinterest - visiting my friends and having dinner in a creative but sterile atmosphere
visiting my friends and having dinner in a creative but sterile atmosphere
amazon - yet another amazing co-working space with free food and beverages in SOMA
yet another amazing co-working space with free food and beverages in SOMA
Google - finally! visiting the google office with a private tour guide and breakfast
finally! visiting the google office with a private tour guide and breakfast