Silicon Valley: an Iraqi First Time Visitor Experience
After about 5 visa rejections to various Arab and European countries, just to leap through and achieve my goals and dreams in life, I made it to the Silicon Valley. After all these dramatic rejections, I’m feeling that my efforts had been finally paid off.
I came to the valley late June to attend a 10 weeks professional training for entrepreneurs in a place called Singularity University, which happens to be one of the best and intense program in the world for entrepreneurs.
It not happens everywhere when you get mentor-ship and listen to people whom happen to be billionaires and those who you usually used to only watch them talking on YouTube, to mention: Ray Kurzweil, Peter Diamendis, Scott Hassan, Peter Norvig, Anush Ansari, David S Robert and many more.
There are lots and lots of articles that describe how awesome Singularity University varying from blogs written by former students to NYTimes, Wired and Forbes. So I’m here not to replicate that.
The thing to say about Singularity and differs from other programs is that they encourage the student to criticize it. So this is more about my experience which I considered it unique.
Despite your real reason to come to the valley wither it's to tech-tourism, make connections, start a business or just it will be cool to be there, here is some of my observations and advice.
Be prepared to the cultural shock
Transportation: You’ll miss the abundance of taxis and micro-buses in your city, It’s not Baghdad, Cairo or even Beirut. Don’t ever think that you’ll find a taxi by just walking outside. It’s a place that assume that you’re always connected, so make your self a favor and get a phone with a contract.
Uber taxis is your fastest way of transportation and cheaper than taxis, for short distances get a bike and for the long transportation use Caltrain.
Relationship: It’s so common here to see people talking openly about their bodies or sexuality among mixed-gender groups, don’t panic or be offended.
Food: You will miss the Arabian food more than your family, believe me.
Business: Formality is not required at all, be prepared to pitch your idea any time and show some passion and vision rather than the numbers and a business plan that no one will read.
Weather: they said that is summer, no it’s not. If you’re backing in the summer, make sure to have some winter clothes.
Nightlife: parties END at midnight.
“a man’s experiences, its his facts”
I had some opinions on finding co-founders and starting a business. At Singularity they encourage people who have diverse backgrounds to solve a global grand challenge pushing them to from teams with the hypothesis that this will encourage people to be more creative.
That was putting most of the students on stress to find the right people to work with and the challenge to tackle, using “Brainstorming” which is a “Brainfuck” for me.
I realize, and my realization is only belong to me, is that the best route to start a business is to 1. Build something ALONE, 2. Hire contractors, 2. Grow, 3. Find co-founders, 4. Find investors, 5. Scale. So don’t look for co-founders from day one.
Other thing that’s I came to realize is that passion is not an event, passion is a process. It’s in the middle way between pain and vision.
Moments
Here is some moments that I could be able to capture.
