It's the best ecosystem in the world, but do you really need to go there? Before you decide, ask yourself these questions.
It is the place that any technology entrepreneur in the world dreams of, something like the Mecca of entrepreneurship. Silicon Valley has earned a reputation for being the best entrepreneurial ecosystem on the planet, so the pilgrimage of technological talent is constantly happening.
There is no self-respecting entrepreneur who, at the very least, has not fantasized about going to Silicon Valley with his startup and becoming the new Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. But do you really need to go to Silicon Valley to take your company to the next level? Or, beyond the glamour, is it totally necessary? If you’re thinking about it, ask yourself these questions first:
1. What do you need?
What exactly does your startup need? Customers? Users? Investment? In general, startups tend to go to Silicon Valley, especially when they need access to investors and financing. A few years ago this could be enough of an argument to cross the pond, but is it still so? Keep in mind that, luckily, for a few years now the large American investment funds have been coming to Europe, and Spain is no exception. If all you need is access to capital, do you really need to go to Silicon Valley?
Source: Emprendedor21
2. Where are your…?
You know what you need: users, investors, customers, allies… Now, are they in Silicon Valley? Be careful, Silicon Valley has long since been the only great ecosystem. Are you a fintech? Maybe you’re interested in New York or London. Are you a pure and simple tech company? You should still look at Israel. Is your business related to the audiovisual world? Look in Los Angeles. With the record company? Look in Miami. With consumer technology and B2C? Look in Silicon Valley. Do you need extra social exposure? See also Silicon Valley. First decide what it is that you are looking for; Then, choose the place where it is.
3. Are you global?
It seems like a truism, but not everyone asks it. Is your startup global? Or, if it is not right now, does it aspire to be? Do you have any traction in the United States? If the answer is yes, Silicon Valley can definitely be the place to be.
Source: Emprendedor21
4. Are you a copycat?
Let’s stop being self-conscious: copycat is as legitimate an option as any other. You may not win the award for the most innovative entrepreneur in history, but taking a model that already works in one place and taking it to another is a practice as frequent as it is valid. In that case, if the startup you’re ‘copying’ is already in Silicon Valley and is a thousand times bigger than you, you might not have to go: it will have a snack for you in an afternoon. However, you are likely interested in settling in Europe and reaching that market. In this way, when the big one wants to come to our continent, he still considers buying from you.
5. Do you have money?
Despite the fact that there are more and more entrepreneurial nuclei spread around the world, Silicon Valley is still the best… but also the most expensive. Do you have the money to hold on there? Many times things don’t go as fast as you want; Are you sure you can hold on in the entrepreneurial ecosystem where money is most quickly ‘burned’?
Source: Emprendedor21
