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January 16, 2023 Silicon Valley Entrepreneurial

The Silicon Valley eLSD: Experience, Learning, Sharing and Doing

I have been living for over 10 years in Silicon Valley. I advise several startups in the US and Europe, meet regularly with C-level managers from all types of organizations, and at some point it always comes down to one question: "What makes Silicon Valley special?"

Many books already cover this topic. Every year, shiploads of eager managers travel to the tech-Mecca looking for the magic recipe. Other regions are trying their best to close the gap — Tel Aviv, Berlin, Shanghai — but none of them come close.

The San Francisco Bay Area seen from above — the heartland of Silicon Valley innovation
The Bay Area — where sequoia-scale ecosystems grow from a single idea.

I coined the term for my differentiator theory: The startup e-LSD.

Experience

No other place produces more innovative companies and products than the Valley. Experience is tough to replicate. There are hundreds of law firms, patent lawyers, accountants, suppliers, marketers, strategists, advisors, and investors who practice over three decades of founding and supporting startups. Comparing SV with the rest of the world is like comparing fruit flies to giant sequoia trees. The Valley creates 25 generations each year. What works replicates fast. What doesn't work dies quickly.

Two professionals in deep discussion at a Silicon Valley networking event
Three decades of collective startup knowledge — condensed into every conversation.

Learning

"Never go to bed as dumb as you woke up." The first time I arrived in Silicon Valley, I realized from the first minute that I had to learn constantly. Every day is packed with events — VC breakfasts, marketing lunches, demo nights. The whole tech environment is constantly absorbing every piece of knowledge it can grasp.

Silicon Valley startup event with speakers and attendees sharing knowledge and insights
VC breakfasts, demo nights, and knowledge events — every day is a learning sprint.

Sharing

A big mistake I made when I first moved here was to keep my idea secret. I remember the first meeting with experienced founders — they would never sign an NDA. "Either you tell so you get feedback, or you don't, and you learn nothing." You share, you tell, you listen, and you learn. Everyone is busy with their own idea. No one drops their pen and steals yours.

Roman Weishäupl at a Silicon Valley networking event sharing ideas with fellow entrepreneurs
Share freely, listen deeply — the Valley's founding philosophy in action.

Doing

"Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail. There's only make!" Many people come up with great ideas, but when you live here in the Valley, you feel forced to go out and try it. Being surrounded by people who do — all the time — is the best encouragement.

Stanford University d.school sign — birthplace of design thinking and entrepreneurial doing
"Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail. There's only make!" — d.school, Stanford.

Come visit. If you make it to the Valley, let me know — we can meet for coffee or beer by the Bay.

Roman Weishäupl enjoying coffee by the San Francisco Bay with a view of the city skyline
Coffee or beer by the Bay — the invitation is open.