

Ask HN: Startup failed in Vancouver, move to SF to work? Pay Bitcoin for Rent? - ricksta

TLDR: I had 2.5 years of failed startup experience in Vancouver. Recently my cofounder found a job, so now I&#x27;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&#x27;t have much savings but I mined some bitcoins, so is there any place that accepts rent with bitcoins?<p>Long version: It&#x27;s been almost 2.5 years since I graduated from UBC here in Vancouver (EE + CS). I didn&#x27;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&#x27;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&#x27;s salary starts at $100k whereas Vancouver starts at $60k. I would like to go network first as I don&#x27;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?
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Jamurai
Have you decided for sure to move to the SF Bay Area?

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.

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ricksta
Haven't decided for sure, thats why I'm asking HN for some tips. I have been
thinking about it for a while though. Whats the best way to ping you?

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Jamurai
I thought it shows my email on my profile, but I guess it doesn't.
runnerya@gmail.com

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ryanobjc
Get a job first, then done.

US based employers tend to like Canadian educated students. Especially if you
got good grades.

Also even though Vancouver starts at $60k, it also ENDS at $80k. There is no
upper limit to pay in silicon valley.

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pandaexpress
Does it really top out at $80k? I just moved here from Toronto and I was
expecting ~$110k as an iOS dev with a couple years under my belt.

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ricksta
which company pays $110k in Vancouver?

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pandaexpress
I just moved here and I haven't been looking for work so I wasn't sure. This
was just the number I had in my head. I guess I work too much with US clients
:)

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ryanobjc
I talked to a Sr dev in a game tools company in Burnaby and he was making
$85k.

The reality is that in Canada tech staff are costs. In silicon valley tech
staff are assets.

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ricksta
Ok so I'm going to start applying for jobs before moving. Just made a new
resume:
[https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12891432/RickyGuResume.p...](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12891432/RickyGuResume.pdf)

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Randuin
I was surprised no one brought this up. What is your visa situation?

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ricksta
I can work under TN visa which is very easy to get.

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Randuin
You have to have a job before you are granted a TN visa at the border.

