Doing business in Silicon Valley is different from other places in the US and around the world. To be successful in Silicon Valley in sales, marketing, business development or just about any functional area of expertise you must embrace a combination of collaboration, accessibility, risk taking and goodwill.
Collaboration is the ability to work in a productive relationship with others. Collaboration requires the ability to share ideas, work together to solve problems and to do so genuinely. Networking with openness may even mean collaborating with competitors. Silicon Valley is about building a bigger market for everyone to play in. To be successful here embrace co-opetition – cooperative competition and coexistence with your competitors.
The statement, “Information is power” has two distinctly different interpretations. In some parts of the world information is hoarded, stockpiled and hidden away much as a squirrel does with acorns before winter. This interpretation is, “I have the information, therefore I am powerful and you must come to me.” In Silicon Valley information is shared, blended and combined much as seeds are sown in anticipation of a bountiful harvest. Silicon Valley’s inclusive interpretation is, “the smarter that we all are, the more powerful we all become”.
Accessibility of information, experience and brain power is unmatched. Leaders in their field go to events, meet ups and open their doors. Silicon Valley is a reciprocal world. Give to get. Give back when you have received. Networking taps into the energy, vibe and power of Silicon Valley. Learn what’s on the leading edge, navigate around the bleeding edge and bury the relics. Get the latest hints and tips that make things work. Forge liaisons that will last a lifetime, or at least a career.
If you haven’t been to a meet up or networking event. GO. Do not delay. There are interesting things going on every week. Most are free; some have a small fee and almost all require that you reserve a spot. Two of my favorite sites to search for what’s happening are EventBrite (www.eventbrite.com) or Meet Up (www.meetup.com), and there are many more.
Risk taking is what they call it in other parts of the US and the world; in Silicon Valley it is embracing the uncommon or the unknown. To be successful here your comfort zone needs to be firmly rooted in a degree of chaos – new, different, out-of-the-box and often unproven approaches. I often hear that “Silicon Valley seems to worship youth.” But it’s not about the number of years you have walked on the planet; it’s where your comfort zone lies. Success in Silicon Valley means willingness to work in new areas, interact with new people and make a few mistakes along the way.
Learn fast, make mistakes. Learn faster, make new mistakes. Just don’t make the mistake of making the same mistake twice. Thomas Edison would have been successful in Silicon Valley. After making hundreds of attempts to perfect the electric light bulb, he said “now I know hundreds of ways that don’t work.”
Goodwill shares the wealth of recognition, rewards and information. In organizational structure it can include bonuses, stock options and perks. In practice it includes praise and celebration for the success of our colleagues. There is no jealousy or rancor when colleagues succeed (or very little anyway); it only serves to make us work a little harder, collaborate, be accessible and adventure into some new risks.
Silicon Valley is a sort of brotherhood, sisterhood, personhood of trust, transparency and openness. We trust others, until they prove themselves untrustworthy. There exists a certain level of vulnerability as we are open to 360-degree constructive feedback.
Embracing, practicing and honing your skills in of collaboration, accessibility, risk taking and goodwill will contribute and even drive your success in Silicon Valley. You will be an important contributing and supporting thread in the fabric of Silicon Valley’s ecosystem. It’s what makes Silicon Valley different and what will build your network, reputation and career.
Thank you goes to Gigi Wang of MG-Team for inspiring this blog with her talk on the Silicon Valley Ecosystem to a group of Dutch Entrepreneurs.