Vancouver Start, San Francisco Startup

Being a startup founder is like biking across SF.

Riding uphill, you are always running out of money; you constantly have more tasks than time; and you experience rejection daily. Riding downhill, there is no ceiling on your potential; you surround yourself by people you choose; and you can do something meaningful with passion.

Vancouver and San Francisco are two cities with a very similar land area and population density that are a 2.5 hour plane ride apart; however compared to a place known for its hills, Vancouver is surprisingly flat.

In a culture of name dropping, “the valley” has become a popular slogan among startup folk in Vancity, representing a place where serious founders achieve feats unobtainable outside of the innovation hub of the world.

For someone from Canada who hasn’t been, silicon valley starts to build an allure similar to going to Rome, or Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. Little do we know that 99% of progress happens in San Francisco, and that the valley is actually a $60 Lyft ride one hour south of SF on the interstate 280.

A $7 Lyft to the SF Caltrain Station, an $8 ticket for the hour long Caltrain trip, a $10 Uber to your valley destination, a 45 minute meeting, and repeat to get home. $50 travel and your whole day later.

Rewinding back to January 1st 2015, it was time to make a new year’s resolution. I wanted to find a way to move down to California and network. Two weeks later I received an invitation from Kyle Ellicott and Redg Snodgrass to join the Wearable World accelerator and make a move south.

The three month program evolved into living in the founders’ house for six months where I’ve met more smart people, fundraised more money, and brought my company to a level of sophistication that would have taken years elsewhere.

Luckily (perhaps), the misconceptions of Silicon Valley will be eradicated.

Follow this blog to hear more about my adventures as a startup founder, and cutting edge thoughts about air quality, healthcare, and the environment.

I can be found on Twitter and on my website. Thanks to Rose for encouraging me to start writing. -K