I moved to Silicon Valley right after graduate school, not knowing anyone, and faced terrible market timing as the internet bubble was collapsing.

After quitting my job at Amazon, I moved to San Francisco where I found a co-founder and began working on various startup ideas without being picky about the market.

I eventually moved to California to work at Google, where I was in online sales and operations, while continuing to explore side projects.

I heard about Silicon Valley and was drawn to the environment where everyone was obsessed with building and technology.

When I moved to Silicon Valley, I finally felt at home among people who shared my passion for deep subjects and building, where my interests were celebrated rather than judged.

You should consider moving your startup to Silicon Valley if your first customers will be here, as it makes sense to be close to them.

The pressure to perform in Silicon Valley, surrounded by high-achieving companies, can motivate you to accelerate your startup's progress compared to being in a less competitive environment. I realized that the first three years of my startup could have been achieved in six months in Silicon Valley.

I started my first company out of my dorm room at Stanford, aiming to help students get jobs at banks and consulting firms, but it ultimately didn't work out because no one was using LinkedIn at the time.

Experiencing a high-density tech environment in Silicon Valley can lead to valuable connections and insights that significantly benefit early-stage companies.