The Evolution of a Remarkable CEO: Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook

High-profile piece on a high-profile CEO, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg by Matt Marshall at VentureBeat. Great read on the eve of our 8th annual Gateway Summit here in Silicon Valley. Click here for the full story.

Silicon Valley and Hollywood…the Similarities and the Differences

We’ve heard the analogy before, but it seems to pop up more frequently on the eve of TechCrunch 50 than at other times of the year. Silicon Valley is a lot like a Hollywood. It matters “who you know” in the world’s film industry hub and it matters who you know in the world’s tech industry hub.

If you write a script, it sure helps if you know who to send it to and it helps a lot more if you have an introduction to that person. Same in the Valley. If you have a business plan and are looking for funding or sales or partners, it helps if you know who to talk to and the way you get to talk to the person you need to is through having the right connections. For Australians who are members of ANZA TechNet, this is relatively easy — the ANZA network helps you navigate the business landscape in Silicon Valley to find, and ultimately connect you with the right people who can help you move your plan forward.

But what if you’re not a member of ANZA TechNet? Well, your chances of getting to the right people in the Valley are going to be more complicated. You might make some mistakes by approaching the wrong person or approaching the right person — at the wrong time. TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington has some commentary around this in his article “Let’s Not Let Silicon Valley Become Just Like Hollywood”. In his position, he obviously gets a lot of unsolicited requests for advice and help. Although he’s a busy guy, especially right now, he shares his view on the similarities between Hollywood and the Valley, and the differences. Unlike Hollywood, there is still a willingness of most people in Silicon Valley to help you. But once you know who to ask, you need to know how to ask. (Read more)

Plug and Play’s CEO Saeed Amidi Profiled in BusinessWeek

by Viki Forrest, CEO ANZA Technology Network

It’s great to see my friend, Plug and Play’s CEO Saeed Amidi profiled in BusinessWeek.  Since 2006, Saeed and his staff have been the host of our ANZA Gateway to the US Summit and other events at the Plug and Play Tech Center incubator facility in the Silicon Valley town of Sunnyvale.

I’ve had the pleasure to watch Saeed’s business grow over the past four years to other incubator facilities in the Valley and beyond, which makes our ANZA connection all the more special, since we continue to hold our events at the original site of this venture.

The Plug and Play Tech Center is a favorite venue for ANZA companies when they come to the Vallley for the Gateway because it really offers them a “taste test” of what it is like to work here. Throughout the time they spend at Plug and Play the ANZA companies are repeatedly exposed to other entrepreneurs with start-ups, executives in residence and other important people in Silicon Valley who pass through the incubator on a regular basis for one of the many company pitch sessions or networking opportunities. Plug and Play welcomes businesses from all over the world, which creates an international atmosphere that mirrors Silicon Valley as whole.

Plug and Play has been a temporary home to several ANZA Gateway and Fast Track companies as they establish their US base here and ANZA TechNet members who have taken part in the executive-in-residence program.

We’re pleased to be holding the 2009 ANZA Gateway to the US Summit at Plug and Play again this year, October 5-7. We’ll be including this piece on Saeed Amidi and Plug and Play in our Gateway handbook, but if you’d like to read more about this energetic environment for start-up and early-stage tech entrepreneurs now, click here. It’s not too early to start thinking beyond the Gateway Summit to what I consider not only prime Silicon Valley office space at a truly affordable price but a real Silicon Valley experience all the way around.

Plan, Prepare and Persevere

by Viki Forrest, CEO ANZA Technology Network

Last week I got another phone call from an Australian entrepreneur with a great technology who was back in Australia after 3 weeks in Silicon Valley. He told me that he came to the Valley to get initial feedback on his idea and that he had come up empty. He had been told “you have to be here” to get the meetings. He came, but no meetings.

What went wrong? What did I recommend he do?

Plan, Prepare and Persevere

Plan--to use your personal network to get introductions. Remember, there may be 3 or 4 degrees of separation to your target meetings so recognize that it will take time. Build relationships. Always look for ways to assist the people you are introduced to. Business is a two-way street. Time your US trips to coincide with events and conferences that provide wide exposure to your target market.

Prepare–to deliver on every dimension; your written executive summary (one page), your ability to succinctly answer the question “what do you do?” in a way that invites conversation, and your compelling elevator pitch that opens the door to a more formal meeting. Don’t forget the basics. Is your website “US ready”? Do you know your main competition in the US? What’s your unfair competitive advantage?

Persevere–the US is a large and complex market which takes time to learn and navigate. Approach it strategically and persevere. You’ll need much more than 3 weeks to make significant inroads on your path to success in the US.

LinkedIn vs. Facebook; Boring Underdog vs. Flashy Competitor

CIO reports that LinkedIn, the social media site for professional networking is poised for profitability and more immediate financial success than its flashy competitor Facebook. LinkedIn’s loyal 29 million user base may prove in the long run that slow and steady growth could win the social media race. And, maybe serious professionals aren’t all that into receiving virtual martinis and seeing colleagues’ vacation pictures during their work day — at least not at every social media encounter. (Read more)