Timestamps:

1:52 - What mistakes do Swiss startups make when it comes to moving to Silicon Valley?

16:02 - When should you not go to the Valley?

29:56 - Hiring the right sales person

32:28 - Tackling the PR and marketing game

43:23 - What shocks Swiss companies when they come to the US?

The Episode In 60 Seconds

Competing with Silicon Valley Startups – what to expect

Switzerland is generally strong in research and not so strong in productization and marketing. Be aware of this and give your amazing product the showlight it deserves.
Cap tables (the “who owns what” in a company) are a big topic. SV investors don’t like to see large, fragmented cap tables. Be smart and don’t give away more than 20% of your company per round.
SV is fast-paced and direct. Be prepared to adapt your style of doing business.

Is Silicon Valley the promised land for all startups?

The short answer is: no. The long answer is: it depends. Know where the experts in your field cluster. This can be Houston, New York, Chicago …
Don’t underestimate the value which comes from a Swiss brand: neutrality, trust and reliability, to name a few.

Building up your presence in the US

Your expansion should be customer centric. Move to a new market when you feel you understand and are ready to serve the customer there.
Expanding abroad usually entails building a physical presence there. Often this requires at least one of the founders to relocate in order to build a quality team away from home.
Ideally, your first hires have existing customer relationships that you can leverage.
Build the business first, fundraise second. This will give you much more negotiating power.

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