Post by Startmate

SAN FRANCISCO DAY ONE WRAP!! 🚀 Huge day. Kicked off at Andreessen Horowitz where we chatted with Fareed Mosavat and Kenan Saleh, partners in their a16z speedrun team. One of our favourite insights was around “what separates the founders that take off vs those that don’t”, they spoke about admitting when you’re wrong, running towards things that scare you and (of course) putting in the work consistently. Then we headed off to Silicon Valley Bank for lunch and a huge afternoon of sessions with VCs (who offered an insanely generous amount of info). First, Vera Shokina (our host) gave the founders a crash course in setting up in the US. Second, we got to speak with Rhys Hughes (GV (Google Ventures)) and Peter Clarke (Accel). These two work specifically in the talent space. Key insights include: Speed is your best friend, win the heart before you win the mind and relationship currency matters more than ever. Next up: Justin Pirzadeh (Canvas Prime) helping us really understand the US venture space. Andrew Brackin (Gradient) who knows exactly what the founders are trying to do, having raised $100m himself. Finally we had Julia French from Galileo Ventures who was direct and truthful, highlighting what Aussies and Kiwi’s need to do to succeed in the US. Once the sessions wrapped up, we headed outside for some networking drinks with local investors, invited by the SVB team. And that’s just day 1!! What’s in store for DAY 2? Stripe HQ, more VCs visits + SF DEMO DAY!!! 🤝🎤 Reminder: Applications close for our W’26 cohort this Sunday (May 10): https://lnkd.in/gTMiZ5uq