If your timing works out, try and join Elias and a few others going to south by south west in Texas.
When it comes to VC's and the like, talk is cheap and easy, but you've got to have something reasonably solid to talk about; even if it is still early stage, have some *mick liubinskas* focus. Remember, you only get one chance for a first impression, and when it comes to VCs, they'll want to know who else you've made a first impression with as pretty much their first question, so getting an introduction, or an invitation, can be priceless. I'm sure others on this list would have some much better advice. I'd also suggest trying to connect with a bit of the Aussie Mafia in the Valley at one of their semi-regular dinners could also be a good step if the timing works out; they're a great bunch, and have an awesome and welcoming attitude even though they're covered head to toe in the scars of hard won lessons and experience (which I've found/perceived to be warmly and freely shared as either stories of advice). I'd be looking up people like Marty Wells, David Jones (when he is stateside that is), Chris Saad and if you're lucky, team Atlassian. Geoff From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jonathan Williams Sent: Thursday, 5 February 2009 7:22 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [SiliconBeach] Re: Networking Opportunities in SF, SV, NY Thanks to everyone for the suggestions - I'll work through it and see how much I can get in. I'll do my best to write up my experience when I get back. Hi Geoff, All of the below :-) But to be perfectly honest, mostly the later ones. We're still in development, so we're canvasing potential customers, but we'd really just like to understand the market and relevant industries at the moment. In terms of top priorities - we'll be looking for both funding and additional founders/employees in the future. So the idea is to really get that networking process started now - as we imagine these things have a 12-24 month trajectory from first inception. So whislt we don't want to pitch to investors, we'd like to meet the right people to position us for that down the line. We'll be in private Alpha soon, so we'll probably repeat this exercise later in the year when we're progressed into a public Beta. I was in SF in September 08 on a personal trip. Fortunately TC50 was on - and whilst I didn't attend - there were plenty of parties and people to meet (which apparently is the best part of TC). I found the whole experience very energising, and it pretty much catapulted me into the endeavour I'm not in. So really wanting to repeat that (and more), and get take my co-founder through the same experience. J On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 4:17 AM, Geoff McQueen - Hiive Systems <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Jonathan, What are you trying to achieve? Identify and/or sell to new customers? Distributors/resellers/agents? Find some big IT outfit to licence your tech into their solution? Start the acquisition process? Start the fundraising process? Just get a 'feel' for the place? Test your business/technology solution 'pitch' and get some validation from the industry? Really have a holiday but need to make sure you've got enough evidence of work for a tax write-off? The advice from this list has been great already for some of those categories of objective; if you get a bit more specific with the above, as well as provide some background on where your tech sits strategically and what its benefit is I think you'll get some really really great advice from the list. Without even more context though, we could be giving you bad ideas because we're really just making a lot of assumptions (where to assume makes an 'ass' out of 'u' & 'me'). Geoff Sent from my Windows Mobile(r) phone. -----Original Message----- From: Jonathan Williams <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Sent: Wednesday, 4 February 2009 8:09 PM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: [SiliconBeach] Re: Networking Opportunities in SF, SV, NY Hi, Thanks - Yeah - Sorry, I guess I should have given a lot more context to that question. We're working on a collaborative modelling tool - so we're squarely in the the Meta-Data / XML / Unstructured-Data area. Our main target at the moment will be government and corporates, but there is also a strong opportunity in open source (e.g. standards groups). Technology wise we're interested in functional programming, map-reduce, distributed technologies. Business wise we're interested in integration - e.g. the HL7 standard, financial service regulatory reporting, interchange standards (as we see this a prime segment for us). It seems strange, but we don't have a fixed agenda for the trip. Obviously we want to network, seek funding, partners, like-minded people to team up with, etc - However, we see these as having a very long trajectory, so the idea is really to get over there and start seeding / leading into those relationships now. So suffice to say we're casting a wide net at this stage. Thanks, J ps. We have a blog (http://blog.jodoro.com) - but it's more of a running dialogue than anything specific at the moment. On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 5:47 PM, David Jones <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > what is your business? (I may have deleted your intro/delurk). I can let a > few aussies in the bay area know you are coming but it sounds like you are > looking for busdev meetings - would help for some background. thx d. > > On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 7:15 PM, jwilliams > <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> Hi All, >> >> My Business Partner and I are heading over to the US for March/April - >> (We're normally Melbourne-based, but in Perth at the moment). >> >> Time will be spread between San Francisco, Silicon Valley and New York >> - although we'll be making a few side trips as necessary. >> >> We've got a handful of meetings lined up, but obviously the more we >> can do the better. >> >> Has anyone here been on a similar trip? If anyone can recommend some >> starting points that would be really useful. >> >> Thanks, J >> > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. No lurkers! 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