Silicon Valley Mindset: programs, networks, and events



Apart from developing appropriate programs, creation of entrepreneurial ecosystem is a crucial factor in making successful startups. Mason & Brown (2014) have given a comprehensive definition of entrepreneurial ecosystems, stating that they are made up of “entrepreneurial actors (potential and existing), entrepreneurial organizations (enterprises, venture capitalists, business angels, banks, etc.), institutions ( e.g. universities, public agencies, financial bodies) and entrepreneurial processes (e.g. rate of new businesses, number of highly developed firms, number of serial entrepreneurs) that formally and informally connect, mediate and manage their execution within the local entrepreneurial environment."
The World Economic Forum (2013) stated that the entrepreneurial ecosystem is made up of seven components: markets, culture, education and training, financing and finance, regulatory framework and infrastructure, and human capital.

 The world’s largest entrepreneurial ecosystem is Silicon Valley, which is continuously becoming a “home” of many successful companies around the world. Moving your company headquarters or just yourself in this fast-growing environment is leading to faster development of innovative products and services. This environment gave birth to a phenomenon known as “Silicon Valley Mindset” that can have a great impact on (potential) entrepreneurs, especially outside the USA.

One of the most important characteristics of Silicon Valley is the opportunity to accelerate development on both personal and professional levels. Many startups have experienced revelation by joining programs that are fostering innovative and creative thinking. More and more schools are joining initiatives for developing entrepreneurial classes with an aim to make even students at an early age aware of the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset.

How to get started?

Holistic programs: TVLP Institute

The Bay Area offers programs with age or technology focus, e.g. for young entrepreneurs or on exponential technologies. Local business schools have summer programs for kids and seminars from the professional development of adults with an academic approach.
One of the top pre-accelerator and incubator organizations is the TVLP Institute that has developed holistic programs to acquire the 'Silicon Valley mindset' through a unique mix of classes, hands-on labs, mentoring, and business meetings with Valley's role models.

TVLP Institute, with a campus situated in Menlo Park, has recognized a need for creating entrepreneurial programs that enable potential entrepreneurs to develop an entrepreneurial idea and create startups within the Silicon Valley ecosystem at the micro-level. The main goal is to enable people from all over to world - more than 42 countries - to learn about the Silicon Valley way to create a venture during a super immersive program. TVLP participants can apply to several programs and dedicate one to three weeks of their time to intensively work on projects development and acquisition of entrepreneurial skills.

 Why is this important for entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs outside the USA? It is not only important to have an idea. Having an idea and desire for developing it is a great start, however, many people lose their entrepreneurial spirit as soon as they start meeting first obstacles – potential customers are not interested in the product/services, lack of financial capital, lack of marketing skills, etc.
Most of the nascent entrepreneurs are struggling for a couple of months, but the startup failure rate is still at a high level. Those that decide to search for the programs that might help them to pursue their entrepreneurial dream are often facing difficulties in choosing the right program.

Applying the unique learning methodology with the opportunity to customize the programs, TVLP programs are a good fit for researchers, managers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals. Each type of program is designed with an aim to guide an individual or a team through the process of startup creation and development.

Instructors with a waste experience in both academia and industry are in charge of knowledge transferring and active brainstorming sessions. TVLP faculty includes the main players of the Silicon Valley ecosystem: venture capitalists, serial entrepreneurs, executives of large tech companies, and experts. It includes also professors and instructors of some of the well known Silicon Valley universities including Stanford, Berkeley, and Santa Clara. Maybe the hardest thing to find alone in Silicon Valley is mentoring.
Highly qualified mentors are pretty occupied and it is hard to reach and choose the right one. TVLP Institute has developed individual or group mentoring labs specifically focused on the industrial area or a specific topic of interest. Having a possibility to have a quick chat with a potential mentor before the final choice is a unique opportunity.

Once that you are based in the core of the entrepreneurial happenings, you can meet up peers and network in every corner. Application are accepted during the year on a rolling basis on www.tvlp.co

Regional Networks

Networking is a great way to learn the Valley's culture and establish your reputation through connections. As the United States is a nation of immigrants and Silicon Valley attracts talents from all over the world, a great way to start is connecting with your roots. There are networks that are dedicated to entrepreneurs at the country levels.

GABA, the German-American Business Association, is the largest Bay Area aggregation of German entrepreneurs and professionals. The association promotes several events mainly hosted by local German companies like SAP or Bosch. It is a good place to connect also with attorneys and investors. They have also chapters in Europe.

Another country that enabled its citizens to meet up with a Silicon Valley community is France, and its co-working space PARISOMA, that hosts more than 200 entrepreneurs and freelancers in the heart of the Soma district in San Francisco. Apart from the office, their members get access to a different kind of short workshops and events throughout the year.

The swissnex network is an initiative of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation and is part of the Confederation’s network abroad managed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The Swiss global network took a collaborative approach aiming at connecting education, research, and innovation, through the five world’s most innovative hubs.

 Business Association Italy America serves and aggregates the community of Italian professionals, managers, and entrepreneurs operating in the Bay Area. Their aim is to increase the visibility and the profile of Italians as a group within the international business community and to develop a solid network of valuable relationships.

TIE.org, the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region. It is a nonprofit organization devoted to entrepreneurs in all industries, at all stages, from incubation, throughout the entrepreneurial lifecycle. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation. Several members have formed startups while at TiE, and are now charter members giving back to the community. TiE’s ultimate goal is to foster entrepreneurship, creating wealth for both the entrepreneur and the local communities.

People from Latin America have the support of the LATAM fund to connect with capital and other resources in the Valley.

Even though, as mentioned above, there are business networks that are introducing a Silicon Valley environment to certain nations, entrepreneurs globally need appropriate guidance when deciding to pursue an entrepreneurial project in the greatest entrepreneurial environment. If your budget or time is limited and allows only a few weeks or days in Silicon Valley, consider attending an immersion program as the first step. And use the evening time to attend networking events that almost all networks are promoting.

Networking events

Networking events are widely spread in Silicon Valley taking place in the evening; sometimes at breakfast time. It is very important to have the right direction in the plethora of available events. Holistic programs, like TVLP Institute offering above, are including selected events based on the participants’ profiles facilitating the embeddedness in the Silicon Valley community.

Events are promoted by regional networks, universities, and school like TVLP Institute, attorney firms, and professional providers. Some of the most attended events are free. They generally have light networking and one speaker. However, the most common events have a small fee and provide a more structured panel of speakers.

Some popular places for finding events are:

Some popular free events are:

References:
  • Mason, C., & Brown, R. (2014). Entrepreneurial ecosystems and growth oriented entrepreneurship. Final Report to OECD, Paris, 30(1), 77-102.
  • World Economic Forum. (2013). https://www.weforum.org/ 



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Finding the right boost: Incubators and Accelerators



Development of the ICT sector has triggered a mass creation of the entrepreneurial ventures, so called startups, characterized by an innovative idea with great potential to grow and lead to profit.

 Startups cannot be defined as smaller versions of large companies, but must be seen as organizations that have their own organization and processes that make them viable. They can be presented as a kind of catalyst that translates ideas into concrete products or services.

Steve Blank is the pioneer of a customer development methodology that states that in addition to developing the product and service itself, one must take into account the business and marketing aspects of setting up and operating a business in order to be sustainable. He initiated the method of establishing 'Lean Startups', further developed by his student, Eric Ries, which defines startups as “institutions established with the aim of creating a new product or service under conditions of high uncertainty".

The Lean Startup model emphasizes that in addition to developing a new innovative product or service, it is also important to keep in mind what customers want and what they want to spend their money on (Eric Ries, 2011). The core of this model is the Make - Evaluate - Learn feedback ring: after creating a product / service, it is given to users who give their feedback, which is for startups crucial information they learn from, and create a new set of ideas to make the product/service redesigned and upgraded. Along with a growing number of startups, an increasing number of organizations have been set up to foster innovative activities in various fields of science and technology.

These organizations are known as incubators, or accelerators, whose main objective is to stimulate development of entrepreneurship and to assist entrepreneurs and their start-ups in the early stages of development. The primary driver of new entrepreneurial ventures is not the availability of money, or funding funds, or the degree of technological advancement, but the entrepreneurial agency. Incubators strive to maximize the potential entrepreneurial agency by providing services and support that will enable them to realize existing talent, expand potential, and put the idea into action. In other words, incubators represent the link between entrepreneurial leanings and the commercialization of the enterprise creation process. The American National Incubator Association defines them as economic development instruments designed to accelerate the growth and success of entrepreneurial ventures through a wide range of diverse business support resources and services.

The first incubators were created in the late 1950s in the United States (USA), but the concept itself began to evolve only in the 1980s. According to reports from the National Incubator Association (NBIA), there were 12 incubators in 1980. The first wave of expansion included developed countries, with America, the United Kingdom and continental Europe leading the way. Over the last two decades, the total number of incubators has grown significantly worldwide. According to the NBIA report, there are over 700 incubators today. In the last ten years, especially in the US, new forms of incubators have begun to emerge that are taking over the primacy of incubation models extremely quickly. These are so-called business accelerators, which are much shorter and more intensive than standard programs. They are focused on launching a business idea with great potential, in a relatively short and pre-defined period of time. They differ in particular from the following aspects:
  • Intensive training and access to resources for a limited time (usually 3-6 months, even less)
  • A limited number of carefully selected start-ups
  • The goal is to stimulate rapid growth, for example, the company can focus on internationalizing the market during the program
  • Provide access to investors (venture capitalists, business angels) who are willing to finance the expected growth of start-ups within accelerators
  • Mainly focus on ICT technology sectors, Internet of Things, technological innovations in medicine, technology, in developing industries, etc.
Some of the world most famous and successful support programs have been founded or are based in Silicon Valley.

YCombinator

YCombinator is based in California and started in 2005 by Andrew Levy Jessica Livingston, Paul Graham, Robert Morris, and Trevor Blackwell. Classified as accelerator, they have had 183 successful exit start-ups, and funded about 1,588 startups. Twice a year, they invest a certain amount of money ($120K) in a large number of start-ups (mostly 68). Carefully selected start-ups move to Silicon Valley for 3 months and YC partners work diligently with each company to shape and perfect their pitch to investors. Their stay in this accelerator culminates in a Demo Day where they introduce themselves to investors and thus have an exceptional opportunity to attract investment and capital. Some of the well-known companies that have gone through YC accelerator are Dropbox, Airbnb, Reddit, Zapier and Scribd.

500 startups

500 startups,  founded in 2010 by Christine Tsai and Dave McClure, categorized as an accelerator group. The total number of successful exits equals 155.
500 represents a global fund to invest in Silicon Valley-based startups, which since its founding has invested more than $350 million in capital in about 1,800 technology startups worldwide. They have a team of 150 people and offices in 20 countries all over the world that manage an investment portfolio in 60 countries and speak over 25 languages. Different types of programs focus on different areas of business and differ between countries. In addition to investments, they support building sustainable moving ecosystems around the world and lead educational programs, events, conferences and partnerships around the world. Their investment team and mentoring network have operational experience at companies such as PayPal, Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter and Apple. The mission of this accelerator is to discover and support the most talented entrepreneurs and help them create successful companies.

Techstars

Techstars incubator was founded in 2006 by Brad Feld, David Brown, David Cohen and Jared Polis, in Colorado, USA. So far, they have had 98 successful exits. Through Techstar's global network of entrepreneurs, founders and their teams connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, investors, and others who help them grow their businesses. Techstars conducts its activity through 4 programs: Techstars Startup Programs, which inspires, educates and connects entrepreneurs, Techstars Mentorship-Driven Accelerator Programs, focused on intensive mentoring, Techstars Corporate Innovation Partnerships, which helps brands innovate products and services. The Techstars Venture Capital Fund is its venture capital arm.

Immersive Accelerator

TVLP  is the Institute of Technology Entrepreneurship founded in 2014 in Silicon Valley, California (USA) that includes among its team of mentors and instructors venture capitalists, serial entrepreneurs, and executives of iconic Silicon Valley tech companies. In the last 6 years TVLP has educated and trained entrepreneurs, scientists, innovators, and technology leaders from more than 42 countries, both individuals and large teams. Some of the world’s leading and most successful companies have improved the skills of their senior executives by attending a TVLP Institute program. The most comprehensive course of the Institute is the Flagship Program that represents an enlightening entrepreneurship 3-weeks accelerator and journey through various aspects of startup development. The Flagship is boosted by the Venture lab that includes intensive preparation of pitch and pitch delivery to investors. Apart from the classes, the program includes meetings and site visits with venture capitalists, startup founders, and large companies along with networking events and special workshops creating a holistic experience. It gains a deeper understanding of the “most entrepreneurial valley of the world” - Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View, San Jose, and San Francisco. Non-equity contributions in the form of scholarships are offered to talented participants in selected fields and countries. Teams of 2-3 members receive a special scholarship. There are also aid for female founders and supported by Silicon Valley companies including BlueJeans Network, Inc. Admission is through a selection process. 

Other opportunities: regional boosters

If you are not admitted to one of the above places, consider other valuable resources. Several overseas governments or companies have promoted accelerators and incubators in Silicon Valley. Giving the regional source of their application, it might be easier to be admitted. Some of them accept startups from all countries too. And as bonus they provide a strong connection with their home-country market.

There is a German Accelerator, supported by German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, that is empowering high-tech German tech startups to successfully enter the U.S. market. Starting with an office in Silicon Valley, they expended to New York, Boston and Singapore branches, providing support to mid and later staged startups.

NewDo is a venture capital fund and accelerator with Chinese roots and offices in San Mateo. It is committed to delivering top-tier financial returns by supporting the world’s best entrepreneurs in becoming conscious leaders and building companies that create value for all stakeholders. The fund offer value-added services to portfolio companies and strong support to connect with Chinese companies for both supply-chain and enter the Chinese market.

Techcode was founded in 2014 and it is backed by China Fortune Land Development (CFLD), a giant in the Chinese real estate business. It is connecting three continents - Asia, North America and Europe. It is dedicated to operating incubators and integrating global innovation resources. Techcode has strategically partnered with government agencies of countries like Israel, Finland, Russia, Germany and South Korea, etc.

Techmafia is an intensive 3-month soft landing program in San Francisco, that is based on lean methodology and that is helping Russian and European companies get significant traction on the US market. Their investment activity accounts for more than 100 IT startup deals each year, constituting 80% of the Russian early-stage venture capital market. Entrepreneurs are spending 2 months in Moscow working on product preparation, adaptation and fine-tuning, and then moving to San Francisco for meetings with potential clients, feedback from investors, close work with US experts, a continuation of Customer Discovery, Customer Development

Nordic Innovation House is helping Nordic companies to get the most of their projects by developing it in Silicon Valley. With back up from Nordic Innovation and the Nordic Council of Ministers, they bring Nordic entrepreneurship, values, and their way of doing business to the global innovation ecosystem. Two main programs in Silicon Valley are REACH - Incubator program and TINC - Accelerator program.

ZeroPoint Ventures is a network of entrepreneurs who partner with growing companies to re-engineer their organizations for long-term, sustainable growth, and impact. They are focused on spreading the entrepreneurial spirit in New Zealand, following the Silicon Valley and Israeli approaches. Apart from the 1-week program, they also offer programs for the corporate sector.


How to be admitted

Admission to the above programs generally requires to fill up an application form and to go through other selection steps like a video interview or a demo. While you can learn about the admission process on each program website, some tips to get prepared are listed below.

FILL UP THIS PART:
- what a VC is looking for is pretty much similar to the screening process done by the incubators/accelerators above. List the main items: problem, solution, market, team, differentiation. They should fit into a one page forcing you to use clear and short sentences. Cut what is not important.
- have a clear and engaging story about what you do and why it is important for you and for others

SO IF YOU ARE NOT READY, SUGGESTIONS:
- talk to friends and family to validate your project
- keep it simple and short (a grandparent should understand its main parts)
- find a niche
- find advisors



 References:

  1. Blank, S. (2011, September 1). Why governments don’t get startups. Steve Blank blog. Preuzeto sa https://steveblank.com/2011/09/01/why-governments-don%E2%80%99t-get-startups
  2. Ries, E. (2011). The lean startup: How today's entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create radically successful businesses. Currency.
  3. The American National Business Incubation Association. www.nbia.org

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Silicon Valley one day FREE Tour



Apart from the learning and working hours, it is also important to have some time to relax and absorb the Silicon Valley culture by visiting some of the places that made it an icon of innovation. There are several iconic places to visit and get inspired by those that created the modern technologies. Silicon Valley is also part of the beautiful California with fantastic opportunities to enjoy the nature.

In this article we will conduct you through an inspiring visit of Silicon Valley. Having an opportunity to visit Google, Microsoft and Facebook headquarters is for many people inspiring. There is much more in this free guide to Do-Your-Self tour.

TOUR DURATION: 1 day starting at 8am. Stops are sorted in a specific order to create a one day intensive tour starting at 8 am. You are also welcome to spread the site visits over 2-3 days.

TRANSPORTATION: You can do it by using a Lyft or Uber driver calling the car every stop. Download the Lyft or Uber app, add a credit card, and you are ready to go. A rented car might be challenging for parking.

ADDRESSES: don't forget to download the PDF with all addresses and directions to have in your hand. Get a free copy of the last version using the link at the bottom of this page.

Enjoy!

HP Garage


First stop. HP Garage today stands as the inspiring symbol of innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit, where two college friends, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, first pursued the dream of a company of their own. Guided by an unwavering desire to develop innovative and useful products, the two men went on to blaze a trail at the forefront of the electronics revolution. Before going to visit HP Garage you can learn more about the HP origins reading this article.
On site, don't miss to read the plate with HP founders story.

Facebook sign



Make a stop in front of the Facebook campus in Menlo Park. There is an interesting story behind (literally) the Facebook's sign in front of its campus. Namely, the building where Facebook moved the office was previously owned by Sun Microsystem that was acquired by the Oracle in 2009. Sun was one of the Silicon Valley legend that made the personal computer.


Mark Zuckerberg did not want to replace the Sun Microsystem's sign, but he flipped it over and put the Facebook's sign on the front.
Why he did that? He wanted to keep his employees motivated, as the Sun logo represents what can happen when you are on the top but you fail to innovate.

Oracle


Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Redwood Shores, California. The company sells database software and technology, cloud engineered systems, and enterprise software products—particularly its own brands of database management systems. The company was founded by three engineers in 1977 under the name Software Development laboratories and changed its name to the Oracle in 1982. After it was publicly traded, in 1987. Oracle was ranked as the world's largest database management company. Continuing to innovate in 2010. they acquired Sun Microsystems becoming the steward of Java. Since 2016. they focused more on supporting startups developing global digital programs. In the last years, they have collaborated with scientific research centers and the biotech industry.

You can drive in front of the Oracle buildings. Eventually stop at Pullman Hotel to enjoy a coffee on the nice terrace with a view of the Redwood Shores and Foster City.

From Oracle, you should drive to the Foster City, a suburb of San Francisco, on the east edge of San Mateo. It was founded in the 1960s on engineered landfill in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay, and named after T.Jack Foster, real estate magnate who owned much of the land comprising the city and who was instrumental in its initial design. It is considered to be a part of the Silicon Valley due to its proximity to Silicon Valley cities, and it is known as one of the best places to live in California. Around 82% of the area is water, and it is a great place to visit.

Google and Googleplex


Take the 101 from Foster City and drive just a few miles south to Mountain View. You will reach the Googleplex a complex of buildings that serves as the headquarters for one of the most powerful companies in the technology industry - the GOOGLE. The word combines Google and complex, but it also represents an enormous number - 10 to the power of googol that is 10100 -- a one followed by 100 zeroes. Google is the most famous internet search engine giant and the fairly massive campus is open to anyone who wants to wander around it. If you want to enter, you need to be escorted by employees. However you can walk outside the buildings and do some other nice things.


One of the most interesting things to see are the Android statues at the Googleplex. They are based on the code names for versions of Google's Android mobile operating system, which are named after desserts and sweet treats. The most recent version of Android statue is located in front of the Googleplex. The other statues are a few blocks away next to the Google Store. This area known as Android Garden is open to Google employees and their guests, and visitors are encouraged to take photos.

The map of the Googleplex you can find here.

Computer History Museum and Self driving car exposition


The Computer History Museum (CHM) with a four-decade history is the world's leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society. It is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the world, encompassing computer hardware, software, documentation, ephemera, photographs, and moving images. You can learn about the long history of technology and its impact on the world through several exhibitions: "Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing" (the story of computing), "Make Software: Change the World!" (software impact on the world), "One Word" (advice from the Silicon Valley founders and builders to aspiring entrepreneurs).


Another interesting exhibition since 2014 is "Where To? A History of Autonomous Vehicles" that chronicles the decades-long challenge of bringing self-driving cars to the general public.

Plan your visit and find more information here.

Lunch at Alpine Inn in Portola Valley 


One of the iconic places you must visit while being in the Valley is definitely Alpine Inn in Portola Valley, known also as at "Zott's". This is the place where the Internet was born in 1976. Read the story how it happened in this article. The restaurant was recently renovated bringing the 167-year-old institution back to "the best version of itself." Read in this story before visiting the place, but do not miss to try the famous Zott's burgers served on sourdough bread.

Sand Hill Road home of venture capitalists


The Sand Hill Road is an arterial road in western Silicon Valley running through Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Woodside. It is famous for its concentration of venture capitalist firms. Companies such as Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, that invested in Instagram, Airbnb, Facebook, Lyft, and Zynga, among others, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, that invested in Google, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, Spotify, etc, and many other VCs. The price for the office space at the Sand Hill Road is beating Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Some are also calling it as the "Wall Street of the West Coast". While driving around, one of the restaurants you can stop by for a coffee and nice view is at the Rosewood Hotel - meeting spot for local investors.

Stanford Campus


Stanford University is one of the leading private universities in the world, founded in 1885. Once you are in the Valley, do not miss to have a unique experience of walking around the Stanford campus and be guided by its students. Do not miss to visit historic Main Quad or the new Science and Engineering Quad, which beautifully incorporates modern and technological elements with timeless, elegant aesthetics and an abundance of outdoor space. The panoramic view from the Hoover Tower is breathtaking. If you are interested in art, there are two districts - the Cantor Art Center and the Anderson Collection. If you are interested in sports, you should not miss visiting the Home of Champions. You will also have a chance to enjoy the meal at one of many campus eateries or dining halls.

Have a look at the virtual tour and get introduced to the Stanford campus.
Account 2-4 hours to visit the Stanford campus.

Intel Museum


Intel is one of the first companies founded in Silicon Valley. You should not miss visiting the interactive Intel Museum where you can learn more about the tech world history.

Apple Park Visitor Center



Apple's visitor center is located just across the street from its new private spaceship campus, where the headquarters are based. With its continuous architecture, it offers a place to explore and shop at the Apple Store that features items you can't find anywhere else. Apart from the exclusive Apple - and Apple park - branded merchandise, the Store hosts Apple sessions and events.

Dinner at Buck's


Have a dinner or a breakfast at Buck's of Woodside (lunch is a pretty busy time here!). Before going to the Buck's, you should read Tech Republic article, Wall Street Journal article or Business Insider. Several companies somehow where funded at Buck's that hosted the first meetings between funders and investors. This and many other things make Buck's so iconic

Other inspiring visits

Great place for the evening is Sports Page in Mountain View where the Google's team celebrated their success!

Other interesting places are:
  • Red Rook Cafe in Mountain View - with its chilled and relaxed atmosphere it is a great place for studying, meeting up or hacking code.
  • Philz Coffee  - famous on their specially crafted coffee. Several locations.
  • Hana House - Palo Alto, cafe created by German tech giant SAP that connects people by offering a space where they can meet, interact, explore new ideas, and bring them to life.
  • Cafe Venetia - that brings the Italian spirit to the Silicon Valley. Meeting spot of local investors.
  • Coupa Cafe - one of the favored meeting spot for entrepreneurs. Two locations: downtown Palo Alto and in Eng. Quad of Stanford University (other corners in Stanford too). 

Download addresses and directions

Download a PDF with all addresses and details mentioned in this free guide. Click Here

How to get more

This free tour is brought to you with the support of the TVLP Institute to offer a cost-saving alternative to commercial-tours for entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts. Before exploring the Silicon Valley you should have in mind that TVLP Institute includes in its programs most of the above visits as an opportunity to relax, take a break from classes and hear about Silicon Valley mindset from guest speakers including venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.
If 'just touring' is not enough for you and you prefer having business meetings and learn from the inside, consider to apply to one of the TVLP Institute programs. You will attend classes, mentoring labs, networking events and much more. www.tvlp.co

Ph.credit: Wikipedia, Fotinakis

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