12 april 2023

The entrepreneurship experience in Silicon Valley

Bianca Oudshoff

April 12th 2012

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie2

Representation of the Dutch Government International

• Economic Division• Netherlands Business Support Office• Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency• Science and Technology Attachés

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie3

Dutch Consulate Silicon Valley

• Economic Division: Bart van Bolhuis and Jaap Veerman• NBSO: Peter Laanen• NFIA: Lisette Gieling and Stans Kleinen • NOST: John van der Heuvel and Natasha Chatlein

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie4

Services

• Answer questions• Perform market scans• Support incoming and outgoing missions• Organise events• Support Dutch representation at big events

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie5

Entrepreneurship

• Bootcamp Silicon Summit• Incubator Holland in the Valley• Market scans and introductions• Support for student visits• Facilitate connections with

incubators

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie6

What makes The Valley The Valley?

• Ecosystem• All about networks• Paying it forward• Social networking• Exit strategy• Failure is a good experience

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie7

Main differences with the Netherlands

• Grown up ecosystem versus young ecosystem• Way of networking• Follow up, invest time• Quantity and quality of events• Positive attitude: do instead of judge• Everybody has a well understood role to play• Personal touch

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie8

Success factors as I see them

• Believe in yourself• Good networker• Lots of energy and passion• Prepared to invest time and money• Open attitude, prepared to take advice• Solid home base, track record• And of course a good team, idea et cetera

12 april 2023Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie9

What can we learn

• Invest in networks• Invest in the intermediary role• Positive thinking• Importance of launching customer• Before going international:

solid base, track record and preparation