TLDR: I had 2.5 years of failed startup experience in Vancouver. Recently my cofounder found a job, so now I'm thinking about moving to the valley to join a startup with people I like. Any tips on how I should plan the move? I don't have much savings but I mined some bitcoins, so is there any place that accepts rent with bitcoins?<p>Long version: It's been almost 2.5 years since I graduated from UBC here in Vancouver (EE + CS). I didn't look for a job, instead I decided to be an entrepreneur and build a startup.<p>I found a really good co-founder(also technical) at the startup weekend in Nov 2011. We then worked together full time from home for almost 2 years coding up different startup ideas. We tried many different ideas, from new aggregator to market place to loyalty programs... but none of them could gain any traction (We are both full-stack developers).<p>It is impossible to raise money without traction here in Vanouver. Being bootstrapped and living at home made us less patient. We couldn't focus long enough because we had no income for so long. Eventually in Sept this year, my cofounder have came to an end of his runway and had to look for a full time job (which he found easily with all the development experience we gained together).<p>Now I am moving to the valley to join a startup, so I can learn from more successful entrepreneurs. I can also save up a bit since valley's salary starts at $100k whereas Vancouver starts at $60k. I would like to go network first as I don't want just any job, I want to join a team with a good cultural fit. Living in the valley is expensive so the sooner I find a job, the less savings I need to cut into. I do have some bitcoins from some casual mining so maybe I can pay rent with bitcoins while networking and job hunting? Any tips and advice on how I can plan my move?
Have you decided for sure to move to the SF Bay Area?<p>You could potentially network and get a job (or at least have them fly you out for interviews) without moving. If a company likes you enough they may even assist with the move or you can try to negotiate that into your contract. Feel free to ping me.
Get a job first, then done.<p>US based employers tend to like Canadian educated students. Especially if you got good grades.<p>Also even though Vancouver starts at $60k, it also ENDS at $80k. There is no upper limit to pay in silicon valley.
Ok so I'm going to start applying for jobs before moving. Just made a new resume:
<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12891432/RickyGuResume.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12891432/RickyGuResume.p...</a>