“
You have to
decide for yourself
what the best
approach for your
idea and
company
will be
We both wanted to continue growing ProFellow and Ryan
was particularly interested in gaining start-up experience
in Silicon Valley, so San Francisco was the obvious place to
go. Being American citizens, this move wasn’t as challenging
as it would be for Kiwis. We did have friends there already,
and we luckily found an inexpensive six month sublet in
Nob Hill through a friend of a friend. After our wedding in
Washington, DC in October 2012, we moved immediately
to San Francisco, but we didn’t quite know what the future
would hold. We were not ready financially to work on
ProFellow full-time, so Ryan began looking for product
management positions in start-ups in the Bay Area.
During our first 6 months in San Francisco, we went to every
start-up event and meet-up we could, including Hackers
& Founders, Women 2.0 and the Start-up Bike Meet-up, a
group of start-up entrepreneurs who get together on bikes
for evening group rides ending at a local pub. Ryan also
continued learning to code, a goal he began while we were
still in living in New Zealand. In the Bay Area, there are
numerous meet-ups, code-pairing groups and academies for
people interested in learnin ? ???K?[?H??[?? ?[?]?[??]?\?H^H? H ?YZ?Y? [?H ?[?Y ? ??Y? \?H]?[? ???x?&]?HXYH??Y[? ?[???X? ? ]\?H[??[ XX?K?]?[????? \? HX\???\? ?\?H [?H?[??HH] H[?B??X\?Y ?H ?\?H ?\? ?\?Y ?\???\???X\?H]\? ?YY]??]? [?H[??[???[??\???Z?H?[[??? [?H\?B???\?H ?[[?? ?YY] ?] [?H?????YH?H?Y\?[??\??]?X??] ?\? ]\ ?H?[???[??\????^H\?XH\???\]X[[??\?\?? H ?\ ??? X? ?\? ]\ ???X[??Y?[? ???[??\?H?[?[? ?? X?X[?Y?\?][[??B?[?[?[?Z[??Y]?[?\ ?[ ? L?] ] [YKH[ ???Y?[?????[???]?X??\???H ? [\???]???[?? ?X?H[??[?[?Z[??Y]????]???[?? ?X?\?\?H[??\??X] X?H ?YY]?]?[?K[? \?H\?HX[?H? [H ??Y??] H?[????[??\????^H\?XK[?? Y[???]?H[?[??Y[? H?] K??]8?&\?Y? HY ?[?Y?[?\? ? ???[?H??]???[?? ?X?H ?]\??[?]?YK?]?] ? [?H[??HZ[ H ??][?H[?][ ?? ??Y\?? ? [?]Y\? ?YY] [?H ???[??? ?\? ]\ ?]X[?HY??\?[? ?Y?\????HYX][? ?X?]Z\?][?????^[\K?\? H?\?^HHY]H??\] HX??\????\?H[? H?\??[??\???H??X?[?]???Y??\?\?H[ ??? [\? X?\??? ?X[ ?\? ]\ ? ]\?H??? \? ?\ [???[??????[???[??\??? [?x?&[?[? ?\? ]\ ? Z?[??Y ?[?Y?H? H?X\???YH[???YH ?KY?H] H\??B??\][?H?Y??H] L H??? ?Y] ???[???[??\???\? ??X? H?H? H[???X]]?H[??[???]]?H?]Y\?[? H ?? ??[? [?x?&\?H[??]??X[[? H?[X???[^H ?? ?Y[\? ???\?]?^K[??[?\ ??X?X?H?]]8?&\?X? X[ H ?\?HX??\??X?K?[??[????[??\??? [?x?&[YY] [?HZ[ H ??\?H ???[??? ?\? \ ??? X??X?[[???]X??X?[ ?]8?&\?H?X] X?H ??\??\?[??[[??]?\?[?H\? ?[[?? ? ?\?HYX\? ??Y\?[??\ ??? [?\? ?\? ]\ ?Y ?X?H\???YH[? [?Y?[\?K ?X???[??HH?\??[??[?H?\??K??\? [YH [?H ?X[\?H \?H\??¸?' ?Y? ?^x?'H ????H ?\? ]\ \?]H ?] ??YH [?H ?[??^K?]?[? ? [\?\ ??X?\?Z?H8?'X[??\? \8?'H\?H???\?^?KY?] ?X[ [???Y\?[?H]?H ?X?YH?? [?\??[? ?]?H?\?\ ??X??? [?\?YXH[???\[?H ?[?K?[?B????&]??? H ]8?&\? \?? H ?\??8?$??] [?H ??[????[?\??][??[?? ?]?[? ?[??\?? ?^H [?x?&\?H ?????Z[??[??[???[??\??? ?x?&]?HY]H??[? ?\ ?[?]\?? ??]?H ? \? ??Y\?X??]\? [Y\?[?? Y[??[? ?\ ?[?]\????[YH???H ??[??\ ?K?X?Y ?\?[?\?X[ \??Y\?[HX??[??X[ [??\?[??K?Y ??\?HH?????Y[? ??\?H ??Y\?\?H[?H??[[? [? [?HZY? [??????