OATV Field Trip Series

I’ve written here on many occasions of my first trip to NYC after founding OATV. It was a transformative experience for me and for the fund. Since that trip, we’ve built a significant portfolio of companies in NYC and had a front seat for how that startup community has evolved.

Last year I started to see that what was was happening in NYC 7 years ago is beginning to happen in more and more cities at an accelerating rate. Startup communities are forming and reshaping the cities they take root in. The secrets of silicon valley are increasingly getting distributed through transparent and scaled online networks which could care less where your mail is sent.

So, I got this idea.

We need to get out and experience these communities as they’re developing. We need to meet the faces and personalities that are making things happen in these new startup hubs. And we also need to get a deeper understanding of the cultural influences on these communities beyond their native tech scenes. 

So, my idea.

I want to spend at least one week a quarter (likely more than once a quarter) going deep on a new startup community. Sometimes it will be just me, sometimes I’ll bring along others from the OATV team. At the end of the week, I’ll return here and report on the things we saw, the conversations we had and the people having an impact on their startup cities.

What I’m hoping to get from everyone here are ideas for which startup communities I should visit. And who in those cities can help me get a feel for what’s driving their momentum.

Given I’ve been asked about 1000x in the last year when I’m going to be in LA next (and the fact that we have sub zero temps in Utah right now) my first field trip will be to Los Angeles from March 4th to the 8th.

If you are, or know, people I should be meeting to get a feel for what’s happening in LA now, I’d love to hear your suggestions for how to make the most of my week down there.

I look forward to returning with a better sense for the startup community in LA and a killer Field Trip report to share here.