All accelerators are different. When choosing an accelerator, there are so many factors to consider — location, network offered, timing, program specifics, etc. Our team, much smaller at the time, took a look at the variety of programs around the world and realized that at the time, 500 Startups would give us an experience and the resources that we desperately needed.

But it wasn’t as simple as that. Being a small startup from Buenos Aires, Argentina, trying to get into a giant such as 500 Startups was no easy task. First of all, no other Argentine company had yet been accepted into the program, so we couldn’t network our way in using that portal. Second of all, we were actually in Buenos Aires, not Silicon Valley. So how in the world were we going to get into 500 Startups?

Take Advantage of Your Resources

Around the time that we realized our 500 goal, we were chosen to go to Silicon Valley as part of Latin America Invades TechCrunch. This was huge for us. Through this program, we were taken to San Francisco, given an inside look at how the city runs through networking events and tours. One tour was of the 500 Startups office.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

During the tour, we got to see all of the lucky startups and incredible people that worked at our dream place. We met many interesting people and listened to presentations about the company and Silicon Valley in general. At one point, I saw Dave McClure go outside. So, I followed him. This sounds creepy, I realize, but I knew I had to take the risk. Dave went out for a smoke break, so I joined him and took advantage of this opportunity to pitch Wideo. This got my foot in the door.

Always Be Ready to Pitch Yourself

Dave was convinced by my smoking break pitch, and told me if I convinced the rest of the 500 team, I could be a late addition to the startup batch. And it worked. I sold the rest of the team on including Wideo, which meant that Wideo was one of the first Argentine companies accepted into the program.

I took a big (and somewhat unconventional) leap to get us into 500 Startups, but I knew it was the right move for my team. We learned so much through the program, and the experience (and networking) moved our company forward (and to San Francisco).

Now check out our story in Wideo format: