The Mountains are calling.. 10 lessons from 10 days in Colorado.

Part #1.

This September I attended the Denver Global Landing Padobal Landing Pad - an accelerator run by the very effective folks at Denver Economic Development Organisation - followed by Denver Startup Week. An incredible immersive learning experience, as I consider bringing ACTVO into the US in 2025. Over these 2 articles I want to share with you the insights I gained, to inspire and support anyone thinking about scaling their business into the US via Colorado.

But first some fun-facts on Denver:

• 3.2m population
• $88k median household income
• 47% of people here have at least a bachelor degree or higher (2nd highest city in US)
• Home to over 40000 businesses
• Denver Startup ecosystem is the 4th best in the world for mid-sized cities.
• Denver Startup week is the largest free entrepreneurial event in the USA
• Denver airport is the 3rd busiest in the US, 6th in the world.?
• Colorado is ranked as the 4th best state for business in US.
• Colorado is ranked #1 for women entrepreneurs.
• And there are 35 NZ companies now established in Denver and scaling here.

And yes, the stereotypes are true - people here all love their dogs, drink craft beer, hike, ski or snowboard, drive subarus or jeep trucks and carry water bottles. Sound familiar kiwis?

OK onto my early insights..

1.???? Network effect

This was a huge assault on my introversion! Networking in Colorado is not seen as a nice to have, but a must do. And it isn't seen as small talk. It's a way to learn first, build trust, and authentic connections fast. ? In Denver it creates a powerful cumulative effect as its respected by everyone and it works. In the time I've been here I have added over 60 people to my LinkedIn profile, and have mentors and potential customer meetings set-up, within days.? It is literally, how business gets done here.

My #1 tip - print business cards! Whilst in your home country (such as NZ) business cards are no longer used much, they are here and you will find them an invaluable and fast tool here (no more fluffing around with scanning Linked In codes) for smoother connections.

2.???? Give first

This could literally be the Colorado slogan. Everywhere I went I heard this in the opening dialogue with Denverites (and fun fact, its TechStars Wifi code). We all know that when you enter any new community - like a friendship group - its important to understand their culture. And this is a critical pillar of how people connect, build trust and do business here. Don’t come into this power market with the singular purpose of meeting people for "what they can do for you" – think – "what can I do for them", first.

Start with dialogue, not demands.? Get to know them as individuals first - ask about their dog or their weekend sport - then as a business connection. Rookie Tip - ask questions like "what are your biggest challenges right now" and "who could help solve that for you" and bingo, you will find a connection you can share and a way to continue the network effect. The fast-track way into cultural integration, give first. And I guess, just a worthy way to live well.

3.???? Don’t wing it

This seems obvious but important to underscore. The marketplace of the US is historic, advanced, broad in scope, and deep in detail. Its complex, and unlike any market you are coming from so you can't come here without extensive preparation. In the 3 immersive days of Landing Pad we met with over 15 market professionals who briefed us on everything from visas, employment law, tax, banking, investor ecosystems, IP, marketing and culture. As every state has unique laws, you need to be state led, then choose your market niche, then your ideal customer.

Building a market entry plan can take anything from 1 year to 5 years (which you can do initially on a range of entry level visas) and my estimate is you will need at minimum US$25k to establish a business and market entry strategy. The most effective way to do this is to work with a qualified partner (Im happy to share the contacts I made). Knowing your numbers and starting small, is also critical, so it's worth leveraging as much of the free resources that are available at EDOs and Industry Groups to understand fully first the cost vs benefit, before you get on your first plane.

4.????Constructive naivety

Ok disclosure: this is an idea I stole directly from an entrepreneur I met at a mixer (network effect..). And is some of the best advice I can pass forward. When you are starting anything new whether a new business, or a new business in a new city, you have to assume a Founders mindset. And a core pillar of that, is to know that you don't know what you need to know.

So you're on a massive learning rollercoaster and if you don't try to control the journey, you will find what you are meant to learn. Embrace your naivety by learning first, asking lots and lots of questions, adopting a child-like mindset, and parking your ego of who you were before you came here. You are a bouncing ball in a maze, and the touchpoints you make and how you land them, could be the difference between a successful market entry or not. ?

5.???? Authentic positivity (the opposite of the 'struggle mindset')

This is where us Kiwis have an edge.? We are intrinsically optimistic and innovative - what happens when you enter the US is a cumulative effect on this authenticity. There is no such thing as a tall poppy here. So park your struggle mindset that is often incumbent from trying to grow a business in a resource constrained market - lead with optimism and assume the best. Everyone is ambitious, generous, and willing to support those with a big idea combined with an impact mindset.

I mean let's be real though, you are one of 0000s of businesses entering the US each year so Top Tip - have your value proposition pitch ready - these people don't mess around! You need to be able to communicate - with a smile - in a simple short sentence - what problem you are solving for whom and why, within the first minute of meeting people. If they like what you're working on, they will support you and connect you fast, so get pitch ready cause every conversation starts with business!

In my next post, I'll go into a bit more detail on some of the ways to prepare for US entry and some of the people and advice I received. If you'd like any other detailed insights, contacts, or information feel free to reach out.

I'm excited about the prospects for ACTVO in Colorado and plan to start working on my market entry plan in Q1 2025. So if you are a Denver/Colorado business who wants more for your people - we help staff independently grow their confidence and activate new skills by providing AI enabled personal guides - let's talk. [email protected] www.actvo.ai