Silicon Valley musings
Recently, I went on vacation to the States where my first stop was the magnificent city of San Francisco. The Walhalla of tech. The promised land, if you like. Especially if you include the Valley, home to the biggest tech companies in the world, Google, Facebook and Twitter to name a few.
It also provided an excellent opportunity to visit one of our former team members, Glenn, who runs a very promising startup (Metal Payments) in the heart of the financial district in San Francisco, proving that with tremendous dedication you can pursue your dreams and achieve great things in life.
Btw go and check it out, these guys are kicking ass!
While being there, I could not help but wonder if I would be able to thrive in such a truly inspiring yet highly competitive space.
Triggered by this thought, I came up with a short list of 5 reasons why I would succeed and/or fail in the Valley.
Eureka
- I know my stuff, right? I am a seasoned professional with 10 years of experience. That must count for something. Yippee ki-yay M*F*! 🤟
- I am Belgian 🇧🇪 💪 and Belgian people are true chameleons, we speak decent English and blend in because we are modest and low profile. Simple things that are valued in the world. That must count for something, right?
- I am always up for a challenge 🥊 and I like to compete with the best of the best. Needless to say, the Valley is like the Major Leagues. Everybody wants to play in the Majors, isn't that so?
- I love California’s nature because it's so diverse. The Pacific on one side, the vastness of the Mojave desert on the other, and the gorgeous Sierra Mountains as the icing on the cake. Drop dead gorgeous, all year long. 😍
- I am a huge fan of American sports, be it basketball, football or even ice hockey. I dig it, every day of the week. 🏀 🏈🏒
Nice try, boy.
First up, let me revisit some stuff I said earlier and provide some nuance here.
“I am always up for a challenge and I like to compete with the best of the best. Needless to say, the Valley is like the Major Leagues.”
Well, about that… I would have to compete with the very best of the world. The pull this place has on tech people is huge and that attracts ample talent from all corners of the world. Especially the top tech companies host very extensive selection rounds and have the luxury to cherry pick top talent. As a result, many are called but (very) few are chosen.
What about start/scale-ups then? Start-up life is romantic but also brutal in a sense and it demands tremendous dedication. For that to happen, sacrifices have to be made, and that means that you will have to work overtime — often. I already work hard right now and overtime is not a stranger to me but still I tend to keep a decent work-life balance in doing so. 70- to 80-hour workweeks, now that’s something else for ya.
Plus! Let’s not be naive here, start-ups require top talent, as well. It's just not that easy. Period.
“I am Belgian and we are true chameleons. We speak decent English and blend in because we are modest and low profile.”
The former is spot on. We are true chameleons and do blend in nicely. Moreover, I am convinced that we are well-educated craftsmen that have what it takes to perform anywhere in the world. That being said, I think that we are often too modest about our capabilities which can turn against us in such a competitive landscape. Although being modest is great, underselling yourself is not. Therefore, let’s be modest yet remain true to ourselves and show who we really are when we put ourselves out there!
Apart from the topics above, I also see many reasons for me not to succeed…
- It’s not easy being far away from home and having to build a new social circle. The fact that you are working overtime will not help on that end either, so it would be a tremendous challenge for me to make this work. I do think that I could adapt, but I could never do it alone. Having a partner around would be a crucial factor here.
- It’s not because we blend in, that we belong. People in the Valley are more focused on themselves (or, at least, so it seems). Nothing wrong with that at all, especially in light of chasing the American dream, it's just very different from what I am used to back home where people seem to be more team-focused.
- The constant noise would drive me crazy. This is especially true in the city of San Francisco. The noise is constant and all around. You can’t switch it off… although quality noise cancelling headphones can bring you a long way. 😏
- I would miss our food culture. Living in the modest city of Hasselt, I have such nice and cosy restaurants nearby that are amazing and very affordable at the same time. Compare that to a glass of wine in San Francisco at 15 bucks each and I think it’s clear that, at least bang-for-buck-wise, there is no comparison.
- Belgian beer is the best in the world. Let’s not argue about that :-). Do *not* go there. 🍺
Tipping the scales
Coincidence has it that I visited New York just recently, and it made me realise once again that I really love what I do and that I am more than happy to do it in little Belgium. I think we often forget which possibilities our beautiful country has to offer. We just have to look beyond the surface and think outside the box to see the opportunities life has to offer.
In my opinion, this has nothing to do with location. Be not mistaken, in the States — and more specifically the Valley — there is definitely a more positive climate towards entrepreneurship, an abundance of optimism, and people seem less risk-averse for sure.
However, it starts with you, grinding it out to improve your skills and daring to explore new areas in your career.
This is not a plea for nor against a Silicon Valley endeavour. I think it is awesome to see people, like Glenn, push the envelope across the pond. It puts a face on all the talent Belgium has to offer and we should be very proud of it.
All in all, I believe that places like Silicon Valley are essential to tech in general. They really strive to reach new heights and I can only imagine what it’s like to live and work out there. Even more so, it will always be the promised land for many, including myself.
However, I like the idea that — although we are clearly not Silicon Valley — we do have plenty to offer in our small country. The last couple of years, I feel like things are turning around and that clearly translates itself in a vibrant tech ecosystem with plenty of start- and scale-ups that pursue innovative ideas in incubators all over the country.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done” — Mandela
As a result, I am happy to stay and work on our own future by putting in my best efforts every single day to help contribute to the dream of realising an ecosystem as vibrant as the one that Silicon Valley clearly is. Big dreams are worth pursuing!
A great man once said: “it always seems impossible until it’s done”. I like big dreams. Wherever they may guide you.
Yours truly.
