From Down Under to The Bay. My learnings from SF. #UQStartupAdVenture

If you are interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, business, startups or technology, then you really should go to visit San Francisco sooner rather than later.

If you are a current student or alumni from UQ you really should stay connected to UQ Ventures.

Recently, I spent an intense month with UQ Ventures in San Francisco on an amazing "startup adVenture" and took part in an incredible learning experience with Linqia working on a consulting project as part of their customer success team.

To make the most of our time in SF we visited as many tech companies and businesses as possible while we all worked on individual projects for leading technology startups. I've recorded some of my insights below.

Why San Francisco?

San Francisco is the ultimate place to visit in anyone's entrepreneurial journey, and entrepreneurs today want to be a part of its unique mix of resources, talent, and opportunity.

Home to many of the world's leading technology companies.

• One key factor contributing to San Francisco's success as an innovation hub is its proximity to Silicon Valley.
• Many of the world's most successful tech companies, including Google, Facebook, and Apple, are located just a short drive away, providing a wealth of knowledge, experience, and networking opportunities.

What is an innovation ecosystem?

• Innovation ecosystems can be defined as a complex network comprising of various key ingredients like organizations, individuals, and resources that all work together to foster and support generating new ideas.

The University of Queensland and UQ Ventures Open Doors

UQ has an incredible reputation globally and through it's outstanding network of alumni and present students alike, the university is to able to open doors some of the world's biggest companies.

Thanks to UQ and UQ Ventures we were able to visit Meta, Google, Opener, Tesla, Stanford University, Flynn Restaurant Group, Cobaltix, AusTrade, TIQ and many more.

The Vibrant Startup Community

San Francisco has a vibrant startup community, with incubators and accelerators such as Y Combinator. The city has a wealth of venture capital firms, providing funding to entrepreneurs and helping to turn ideas into successful businesses.

University and Research Opportunities

The city's universities are another key contributor to its innovation ecosystem, with institutions such as Stanford and UC Berkeley providing a steady stream of talent and research opportunities.

Did you know the US is the largest foreign direct investor in Australia??

Key questions to ask along your entrepreneurial journey, according to AusTrade's Landing Pad:

1. Vision – what are your objectives for the US and how are you going to achieve them?
2. Scalability – can you deliver your product or service to 100 or 1 million customers?
3. Traction – do you have a proof-of-concept, existing sales and customers, funding, investors and partners?
4. Differentiation – how does your offering disrupt its marketplace, and what is your value proposition and vision for growth?
5. Market relevance – how would 90 days in a Landing Pad make a difference??

The Entrepreneur Mindset

The city's culture of risk-taking and innovation is hard to overstate. San Francisco has always been a place where new ideas are celebrated and rewarded, and this spirit of innovation is evident in every aspect of life in the city.

My Project at Linqia

Linqia is a startup with a successful business model and proven product market fit. From micro, macro or mega influencers, Linqia works with global brands to select the right influencers to create content to deliver hundreds of captivating assets to bring a brand's product to life.

I learnt so much from my consulting project at Linqia. From the importance of dedicated customer success teams, operations and the importance of communication throughout the consulting project. I also learnt the company is passionate about their incredible values:

• Acting like an owner
• Being Human
• Data Wins
• Make an Impact
• Create Great Experiences
• Move Fast and Innovate

A huge thank you to Linqia of the incredible opportunity.

Silicon Valley is a Mindset

Finally, as LinkedIn's founder Reid Hoffman once said, “Silicon Valley is a mindset, not a location.”

• Networking is everything. It's crucial. Be willing to share, listen and open doors for others.
• Take calculated risks.
• Have a bias towards action.