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Why founders should still move to the US to start their companies
Andrew Chen of a16z on Why Startup Founders Should Move To The US

Many entrepreneurs around the world dream of starting the next big tech company. But for those looking to maximize their chances of success, there's still one place that reigns supreme: the San Francisco Bay Area.
Overview: In a recent post, Andrew Chen of the prominent venture capital firm a16z made a compelling case for why founders should consider relocating to the US, even if just temporarily, to build their startups. Chen highlighted several key advantages the US ecosystem, and the Bay Area in particular, still offers over other startup hubs globally.
Key Insights:
The "tour of duty" approach can be hugely beneficial - founders can soak up the knowledge and network in the US for a few months or years, then return home armed with invaluable expertise.
In-person interactions and relationships are still critical in the startup world, and are much harder to replicate remotely.
Access to tactical experts, niche specialists, and a deep pool of early-stage investors is unmatched anywhere else.
The founders who are willing to uproot themselves and take the biggest risks tend to be the most successful - the US attracts this ambitious, "burn the ships" mentality.
Here’s the post:
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Yesterday, I shared that a16z will be investing $30M in the next 30 days on brand new, seed-stage startups, and we'll be hosting a 12-week program in San Francisco starting January 2025. This program is called SPEEDRUN.
Many international founders wrote me to ask:
Do you fund startups in XYZ country?
The answer is yes.
a16z has been funding startups all over the world for years. But we ask teams to live in San Francisco for the duration of the program because it's still the best place in the world to start a company.
Why?
- a "tour of duty" can do wonders. Look, no one is telling you to move to the US for the rest of your life if you don't want -- it's very much a two-way door. You can get a ton of the benefits by staying for a few months (even better, a few years). You build a network, have some adventures, and see first-hand why the vast majority of the world's startups are built in one city. And you'll go back home with expertise and experiences that will be valuable professionally
- nothing beats hanging out in-person. Yes, we ran an experiment to run the entire world on ZOOM for 3 years, but I think we all know that to have memorable, deeply bonding experiences that build relationships for life, nothing beats IRL. You can't have a 3 hour dinner over video, it's not possible. People will start checking their email and get distracted!
- forget the celebrity founders -- how do you get ahold of the tactical experts? Everyone knows many of the world's celebrity tech CEOS are in SF, but more importantly, so are many of the niche experts in user growth, AI research, product design in SaaS products, and so on. Oftentimes new founders start by wanting to meet other founders, but then quickly realize the tactical help they need exists at the individual contributor level
- all the money is here. Obv many VCs are here, but more importantly, so are the angels and smaller seed investors. Oftentimes new startups don't need a huge check from an a16z to get started, they need that initial $500k so that people can quit their jobs and start companies. There are literally 1000s of investors like that in SF, and many of them are willing to pull the trigger after a single meeting when you make a good impression. No other ecosystem has this kind of investing culture.
- the best founders burn the ships, and relocate to where they need to go. You might have read the stat that >50% of $1B startups have an immigrant founder. But there is a positive selection here -- founders who move from very far away to the US are the ones who are the most ambitious, who are willing to uproot themselves, are willing to risk their time/effort. And so naturally, when they arrive in the US, they are generally the most hardcore. In contrast, what does that say about a founder that's not willing to do these things?
While the pandemic temporarily shifted some startup activity away from traditional hubs, Chen believes the unique advantages of the US ecosystem will ensure it remains the global epicenter of entrepreneurship. Founders who are serious about building a high-growth, venture-backed company would be wise to at least consider a stint in the Bay Area.
About Andrew Chen: Andrew Chen is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), one of the world's leading venture capital firms. He's been with a16z since 2015 and focuses on investments in consumer technology, developer platforms, and the future of work. Prior to a16z, Chen was an entrepreneur and growth expert, having led growth at companies like Uber.
About a16z: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. With over $35 billion in assets under management, a16z is one of the most prominent and influential VC firms, backing leading tech companies like Airbnb, Coinbase, Instacart, and Stripe.