Ask YC: How can a startup wannabe make the most of an upcoming trip to SF?

[startupwannabe]

I'm going to San Francisco in a few weeks for an extended weekend, partly to do some sightseeing, but partly to check out the startup scene, which I'm pretty sure I want to join in the near future. I've been programming for several years now, and I think it's time for a change. I was part of a sort of "internal startup" at my company, and in the years since I've realized that building that group up was when I felt most excited about my work, and I want to go back to that. So I think I'm at a point where I either take the plunge or stop daydreaming about it.

I'm planning on finding some meetups and tech social events to attend, but I'm a bit worried about, well, not fitting in. I'm 27, not fresh out of college, and by no means a hotshot coder. I don't have much of a web presence, no open source contributions, and (currently) have no non-work projects I can talk about. Maybe it's silly to feel like I might be looked down upon for this, but going by startup job postings I've seen I wouldn't qualify to be an unpaid intern at this point. I guess I'm worried I'll feel like I'm going to Hollywood and don't have a screenplay to talk about. Silly, right? Time is tight between now and my trip, but is it worth it to try and hack together an API mashup so I don't feel like a total poser, or should I just relax?

Any specific suggestions on places I can go to get a slice of startup life? I'm planning on staying in SF since I do want to do some sightseeing and check out some good restaurants, but should I make a trip to Palo Alto or Mountain View? Go to Berkeley or Stanford? Is it possible to even visit any companies? Is there a hacker house I can couchsurf at?

[scottyallen]

I wouldn't worry about not having non-work projects or open source contributions. Most startup and Google engineers I know are in the same boat. Don't worry about trying to measure up to the Hacker News image of what a well rounded startup engineer rockstar ninja should look like:)

That being said, check out some hacker spaces, specifically Noisebridge (in the city), and Hacker Dojo on the peninsula.

If you happen to be around for SHDH(shdh.org) or Hackers and Founders (http://www.hackersandfounders.com/), go. They're both really stellar events, where you'll meet lots of cool people.

Lastly, if you'd like to meet up for a cup of coffee, send me an email (it's in my profile). I'm down in Palo Alto. I've worked at Google and a few startups, and am now working on my own company. I'd be happy to share any advice that might be helpful.

[pbreit]

It's going to be difficult to drop-in on companies at work without introductions. People are busy.

Attending events is certainly a good idea. Here's a good list: http://webwallflower.com/upcoming-events/ It's worth considering a trip to Palo Alto or Mountain View to hit an event.

You should probably figure out at least one semi-technical thing that you can discuss positively. In general it's pretty easy to strike up conversations because people like to talk about what they are up to and there's always good tech news.

[T-R]

I'm in a very similar situation - I opted to stay at 'Treehouse', and it's been tremendously helpful for making contacts in the area. - http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/133974

Glancing through AirBnB, I also see this ad - http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/65031

I know there are a few other Hacker Houses in the area, not sure if they rent/sublet, though. It'd also be worth it to check out Hacker Dojo or Noisebridge

[michael_c]

Introduce yourself to folks at startups you admire via LinkedIn before you go. Have coffee, visit offices, whatever.

Most important? Realize almost nobody is that amazingly more intelligent / driven / insightful / etc that you can't achieve similar results.

[hasenj]

I just got back from the bay area.

Look for some hacker space near you. If you're in mountain view, that would be "Hacker Dojo".

[symptic]

Twitter is a great tool to met new people, and it's not invasive or rude to @mention someone and ask to meet up. Break the ice by saying you're into startups and will be in town. You'll be surprised how many people like to meet up!

[bfe]

It's worth dropping by Stanford if only to check out the bookstore.

[pawelwentpawel]

Trying to make a list of people and approaching them in coffeeshops or on the street might be a bit creepy.