My unexpected path to the silicon valley

I’m in Silicon Valley.

This was never a dream of mine, nor did I plan to come to the United States, let alone to this iconic city. I had heard about it through books and conversations, but I didn’t grasp its significance until someone mentioned that it couldn’t be replaced for a hundred years.

At the time, that statement sounded outrageous. Now, it resonates with me.

A year ago, as I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey, every path seemed to lead here. Influential books like High Growth by Elad Gill and talks by Garry Tan from Y Combinator emphasized a crucial truth: where you live matters if you want to make an impact.

Two months before this trip, on August 11th—my wife’s birthday—I declared, “We should move to Silicon Valley soon.” At that moment, I had no visa, no plan, no funds, and no customers.

My CTO, Srinivas, poured his heart and soul into this venture. My team and I worked for six months, crafting a product rooted in our vision and available resources.

We believed we were ready to launch. We even approached several venture capitalists without a product or revenue. But when we arrived in Silicon Valley, we realized our product wasn’t ready for market. We were uncertain whether we had addressed the real problems or identified our target customers.

You can see our product here: Clappit. (I’m writing this on October 11th, 2023, from a swinging chair in my co-founder’s house in Dublin, east of the Bay.)

Every meeting and interaction here has provided valuable insights. We’ve learned to communicate with the Valley and align with its standards. But, what we lacked was the execution and intensity required for success.

We received plenty of advice, such as:

• Have design partners.

• Offer your tool for free and conduct Proofs of Concept (PoCs).

• And much more.

Despite having the frameworks and knowledge, we did the opposite. Why did we miss these crucial steps? Was I arrogant?

This realization bothers me. As the leader, it’s my responsibility to keep my team aligned with customer goals. That’s Business 101—a principle I’ve taught other founders before launching my own company.

In those initial two months, we had VC and customer calls with the wrong people, who asked, “Where’s the product?” I had been blinded by the notion that having a product was enough. I convinced my team and took on product design while neglecting customer validation. It’s a mistake I will never repeat.

Now, we’ve pivoted three times. From a DevOps platform, we are planting seeds for future results and diving deep into AI, pushing beyond our current limits.

In the last 30 days, I’ve undergone a shift. I’ve learned that action—not speculation—leads to significant results. Silicon Valley has shown me that people here support grand ideas and are obsessed with improvement.

Everyone I’ve encountered is ambitious, humble, and hard-working. It’s not the place; it’s how it changes you.

I don’t know what the next 20 days will bring or what the future holds. But, I now have a new goal: to move to Silicon Valley, transform my business, and better myself.

I understand it now. I’m in Silicon Valley.

The journey to success is often filled with unexpected turns. Embracing the lessons learned along the way, especially in a place like Silicon Valley, can influence your path.

As you navigate your own entrepreneurial journey, remember the importance of action, adaptability, and the support of a vibrant community.