Hi HN,<p>I'm going to be down in San Fran for a week at a conference. Outside of the normal conference activities, I'd like to try to connect with the scene, people, and get to know a little about the life of an entrepreneur / hacker in San Fran.<p>Places to go, people to connect with, suggestions and thoughts are all appreciated.<p>Thanks
I visited San Francisco for the first time over this most recent summer on vacation and got my best advice from a friend who works in the area- he suggested visiting co-working spaces or "entrepreneur" popular coffee shops as the best way to make connections or network outside of getting a introduction from a friend of a friend.<p>The list of locations he suggested to me are the following:
Coworking:
<a href="http://wiki.coworking.com/w/page/16583935/SanFranciscoCoworking" rel="nofollow">http://wiki.coworking.com/w/page/16583935/SanFranciscoCowork...</a><p>Coffee:
Fourbarrel Coffee: <a href="http://fourbarrelcoffee.com" rel="nofollow">http://fourbarrelcoffee.com</a>
Coupa Cafe in Palo Alto: <a href="http://www.coupacafe.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.coupacafe.com/</a>
Coupa Cafe on the Stanford Campus: <a href="http://www.coupacafe.com/locations/stanford-green-library/" rel="nofollow">http://www.coupacafe.com/locations/stanford-green-library/</a>
The Summit: <a href="http://www.thesummit-sf.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thesummit-sf.com/</a><p>It is quite awkward to just "drop in" and cold visit these places, but I found that attending during an event made for a perfect occasion to network.<p>Also, have you tried just reaching out to any startups you are interested in? I was able to visit several just by contacting them ahead of time (important), explaining what I wanted clearly (introduction, advice, etc) and then setting up a lunch or tour.
i like to pretend i'm a hacker by ordering expensive drinks at the y combinator cafe in the mission....i am hoping the skill around me will rub off by osmosis or something