Moving from LA to Austin for Sputnik ATX Accelerator Program

One of the hardest decisions we had to make was one of the fastest decisions we have ever acted upon. With less than 2 days between being accepted and starting the program, we packed up our bags and took Pei to Austin, Texas.

Easier said than done

When applying to and preparing for the program, we were thrilled to take Pei to a new market. We knew Austin was a growing market that was quickly becoming the Silicon Valley, outside the valley. We were determined to join the thriving community and take part in an environment that hadn’t felt isolating. When we started Pei in Los Angeles, we felt that we were fighting the tide by ourselves. All the burdens of a startup was magnified.

But unlike YC, we felt that this time was going to be different. We had the GRIT to take on the new challenge, which we knew would escalate all aspects of our company.

But… that was easier said than done. During the time of the application, Sputnik was the first program requesting material that we had never prepared to present. With requirements such as including a business plan (right?), to asking philosophical questions like “Plato or Play-dough”, we knew that they were looking to make this process a challenging one. We also knew that they were looking for creative individuals that were not scared by hard work. This was a hurdle and they wanted you to have fun resolving it. So using our past presentation materials, we started to hack up new documents fitting their requirements. It was like creating a collage of our past efforts.

SHOWTIME

Time came and went. But Sputnik moved fast. They were excited to get the program going and even more excited to start working on fresh ideas. So while we were watching their official twitter announce the next round of interviews, we began to lose hope. Austin was farther away than we hoped.

But we didnt give up. We had Grit.

We turned on tweet notifications, to indulge ourselves further into the torture.

It was like getting stabbed 1000 times. One heartache for each tweet that never announced our nomination.

Then the time came. A saviour that would restore our faith. We were the last group of invites and we did not skip a beat to schedule our meeting.

We took the only available meeting time, a week away, and started preparing our new presentation. This time was different, so our presentation had to be different.

Taking all the feedback we received from YC, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and other late stage investors that considered us too early; we were prepared to show our new progress. We were no longer pei. We were PEI.

So when we finally got to the offices in Downtown Austin, we were more prepared than we had ever been. We knew every analytic, every explanation, and had answers to most questions we could think of. Nothing was going to throw us off.

And nothing did! The partners were welcoming and ecstatic. Presenting to them felt like the most natural experience.

Spending over 2 hours presenting, answering questions, and addressing the business from all ends, we came out satisfied with our efforts. Feeling confident in what we left in the room, we hoped that they sustained the excitement we shared.

That was questionable until we received a request to come back in for a follow up the next day.

This time, things were much more casual. Everyone had met the day before and felt comfortable talking freely. This meeting wasnt about questioning your validation. I mean there was TACOS! This was about sharing the excitement for the future that Pei was helping to shape. Sputnik wanted to learn more behind the technology. They were naturally vetting their interviewees further. They knew what they were doing and we were thrilled to have the opportunity.

Things move fast and faster

After two interviews, we were exhausted. We barely slept the two days prior and were jacked up on excitement to hear a response. It was the most enjoyable torture.

Right as we are on our flights back to LA that Friday, we got the good news that Pei made it into the first Sputnik ATX cohort! With so much excitement and adrenaline rushing through our body, we knew we had no time to waste. With less than a day to pack up, say our goodbyes, and head back to Austin; we had to make our final decision within minutes. Orientation was Tuesday. A cold front hit Austin on Monday, making it snow for the first time in 12 years.

But as a testament to our experience and GRIT, this wouldnt hold us back. We booked an Airbnb close to the office and prepared to make it to the office the next day.

It is now our third day here in Austin and we have met the other incredible companies in our cohort . We have all received our amazing gift packages, office spaces, and syllabi for the program moving forward. This week we are covering Grit and are ecstatic to finally make it to Austin.

Still with no place to call home, we look forward to the ongoing adventure. Follow us as we continue to share our experiences moving forward. Or visit our site to signup for the beta: www.getpei.co