Palo Alto's Networking Goldmine: My Experience with Open Future Forum

If you're ever in Palo Alto and looking for a place to connect, learn, and grow, you simply can't miss Open Future Forum events at JOE & THE JUICE. I've been attending it every week, and let me tell you, it's been a game-changer. These gatherings have become my go-to spots for meeting other founders and investors.

The AI B2B Investor & Networking event, held from 4-6 PM, is a gem. And guess what? It's absolutely free. The value I've gained from just being there, listening, and interacting is immeasurable. A big shoutout to Murray Newlands and the Open Future Forum team for making this happen.

But the networking doesn't stop there. Right next door at Pangea 's office, there's another event, AI B2B Investors Salon by Open Future Forum. It usually runs from 6-8 PM every Monday, though this week they kicked things off at 5:00 PM. There's a fee, but trust me, it's worth every penny. Each time I've attended, I've walked away with new connections and insights. By the way, they also serve pizza. I loved the pizza. I was so hungry I ate four slices. Haha. Murray, if you're reading this, thank you for everything you're doing for our community. I genuinely feel blessed to be a part of this.

This week was particularly enlightening. We had Kumar Ujjwal from Fortified Ventures sharing his wisdom. For all the founders out there, Kumar had some golden advice:

• Before you pitch to a VC, do your homework. Understand the firm, and more importantly, the person you're pitching to. Tailor your pitch to them. And once you've got them on board, they'll champion your cause to the rest of the firm.
• After your pitch? Seek feedback immediately. If it's a 'no', the quicker you know, the quicker you can pivot or refine.

One nugget from Murray Newlands that I really liked:

• Change the investor dynamics. Be assertive; don't ask for permission to present when meeting with a VC. Even if you've researched a VC firm, inquire about their fund and typical check size.

On the startup front, I had some fantastic interactions:

Pangea: It was great to meet Pramod Shintri again. If you have any questions about Pangea, connect with him; he will be more than happy to help you out. Pangea is a Security Platform as a Service (SPaaS). For all developers and founders out there, if you're aiming for any major compliance like GDPR, SOC2, or HIPAA, Pangea is your go-to.

Final Round: Met co-founder of Final Round Michael Guan . He is awesome and super down-to-earth. Final Round platform, which offers real-time interviews with AI Copilot, is groundbreaking. They're revolutionizing the interview process, from behavioral questions to technical challenges. Super dope.

Monster API: Had a delightful chat with Gaurav Vij and Saurabh Vij. Their cloud-based platform for accessing generative AI models is something to watch out for.

For those interested, here are their websites:

• Pangea Cloud
• Final Round AI
• Monster API

It's always a pleasure catching up with familiar faces at the event. Ihor Bauman , always great to see you, buddy. And Hanjun Dai your feedback on my startup, i&my.ai was invaluable. Thank you very much. The authenticity and positivity in the valley is truly unparalleled. I feel lucky to be a part of this community.

Sincerely,

Arjun Subedi