Thoughts in Time

When I told people I was looking for a place in London, generally there was a comment or joke relayed about Estate Agents.  Until we really got into looking, I didn’t know why… Wow, I’ve never met so many people who don’t listen.  We would describe what we were looking for, the range we were looking to pay, and the areas we were looking in.  I would get calls from agents suggesting things that clearly didn’t meet what we were looking for, but don’t worry “it’s a brilliant flat, you really should see it”.

There were two or three agents who listened and showed us some stuff we liked.  Ultimately, Annie from the Estate Company did a great job and showed us numerous places that fit the bill - Annie - you rock - thanks for being patient and helping us.

I was thinking more about my first networking event in London and what advice I would share if I was talking to a young entrepreneur in the same situation…(ok -I’m probably still considered young, but you know what I mean), so - here are my top 6 tips for getting the most from a first networking event in a new city or country

1. Just say hi: Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself.  People want to meet you.  People worry about what to say - just say ” Hi, I’m Sean.”  They’ll introduce themselves, and will most likely ask you what brings you to the event or something else that can start the conversation.
2. It’s all about the people you meet -  You know your story.  It’s ok to share, however isn’t it much more interesting to learn about the cool people you’re meeting?  You can learn what the entrepreneurial culture is like in the area. How they got started, what they’re doing.  What brought them to the event, what challenges they’re currently facing etc…
3. Meet the connectors -  In any area, there are people who are super connectors.  In general, the venture lawyers, search executives, and entrepreneurs who are involved in organizing high tech events are the people who will know the local tech scene, the interesting people to meet, angel investors, and more.  This doesn’t mean ignore other folks, however if you do have a chance to meet these people, you’ll be off to a great start in your new location.
4. Be honest about what you’re looking for - Don’t be afraid to share the challenges you face and what you’re looking for.  In my case I was just looking to meet people in a new city and to learn what the tech scene was like. You might be looking for funding, a key employee, or an introduction to potential partner.  Most people want to be helpful, and they can only do so if you’re straightforward about what your challenges are.
5. Be helpful -   Chances are, you know people where you’re coming from who people in your new city might not know.  As you meet people, think about what connections you could make that would be helpful to the.  Offer to make the connection.
6. Follow up -  Don’t just collect business cards.  Write a follow up note.  Meeting people is one thing, working build new relationships takes work.

Moving to a new place can be a daunting experience. Moving to a new country is even more so, particularly when one is doing so as part of a startup. There’s no built-in network of people you know or will work with.  Luckily, I love meeting new people. There are just so many people out there doing so many interesting things.  There’s always something to learn about.  With that in mind, I went to my first tech / networking event in the UK put on by “the Glasshouse” - Second Chance Tuesdays (although the event was on a Monday).

This particular event focused on the future of online gaming (primarily massive multi-player online games and casual gaming) and featured a panel with several industry leaders.  The overall takeaway is that people love playing games with one another, the social layer that is developing will help casual gaming develop further, and there are an increasing number of people playing games online who don’t fit the normal stereotype of “gamers.”

Aside from the panel, the event had lots of time set aside for networking.  I met a number of interesting people who I look forward to getting to know better once I’m in London full time.

I’ve been traveling non stop (London, New Haven, London, New Haven, Virginia…) so although there’s been a lot I’ve written about on the way, I hadn’t had a chance to post it… So I’ll be posting a number of entries from the last 3 weeks. Lots going on as we get closer to our move and as I have been finishing up at Higher One and ramping up with Friendent (now Pikum - more on that in another post). Exciting times. Hope that everyone who reads this is enjoying the holiday season with friends and family and best wishes to all for the new year.

So when I’ve told people that I’m moving to London, generally I get comments about the weather.  Being here today, I have realized I don’t understand the weather. Here’s one example.  We left our hotel and it was overcast, but not raining at all. We got on the tube (underground), and when we got out at Oxford street it was pouring with rain (that sounds like England right?).  We went in to a shop for ~15 minutes. We got out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  10 minutes later, it was back to partly cloudy, and after meeting with Araz (the first UK team member with Friendent), I walked back to the tube in the rain!  If my life here is anything like the weather it will be fast paced, varied, and interesting

There is nothing more exciting than the first usable version of a new product…. We are going into Alpha with Friendent’s product (name and logo to be revealed with Private Beta).  I’ve been playing around with it and although it’s clear that it’s an alpha, our team has done an amazing job and one can really feel the vision coming together. We’re doing testing with our close team, then will be opening up to close friends and trusted advisors in the next week.  Great work by Logan, Patrick, William, Rob, and our entire product / technology team!

Taking a red-eye to London is standard practice. Friday night was my third in the last couple of weeks.  The flight isn’t much longer than flying to the west coast (5.5 hours), but taking off at 9PM and arriving at 9AM makes it a long day - especially being 6′5″ and not really fitting in economy class.  I’ve become a big fan of Virgin Atlantic though.  Why can’t American carriers function like this?  Courteous service, little extras (they give you a little bag with eye cover, small toothbrush, and socks after take-off), decent leg room (I almost fit), and an 3/3 on-time arrivals mean I try and fly Virgin over when I can.  Saturday we were back to Flat hunting.  More about that later.