This is a great question. 1. Acclimate: Walk around SF and Palo Alto. Get to know the streets, be able to talk like a local, and understand the flow of the city. 2. Attend events. I wrote a post on that here: https://clarity.fm/questions/4379/where-do-i-network-with-entrepreneurs-game-changers-and-investors-to-find-not 3. Be brave. This is a city that rewards fearlessness and strength. Move with confidence, have an open mind/heart, and go do what you're meant to do in this world. -Blaine

The best way to meet people is to show up. Sometimes, you just have to jump over that fake 'red velvet rope' to get access. 1. I once attended a VC Cleantech summit by just walking into the hotel and into the summit. Made some good connections there. 2. I also walked into YC's demo day.. Security asked us to stop, but we smiled and kept walking. It was a good event. 3. I showed up at a VC firm a couple of times, and just talked to the partners like normal human beings -- most people will talk with you if you smile and are a real person (not groveling but just being present and adding value to them). 4. I went to the hotel bar at Sandhill Rd. in SF, got drinks, and met VCs who were in town. 5. I went to angel.co penthouse parties that I heard about from a friend of a friend. I showed up, said I was here for the party, and I've found the startup community to be super accepting -- they let me right in, twice. What if the events don't exist? Create the events, and be the leader everyone is looking for. 1. When I moved to PHX, there weren't as many startup events as there were in SF, so I created my own. 2. I invited some entrepreneurs to be guest speakers, and having 2-3 concurrent sessions in 1 night 3. Another time, I had VCs and successful entrepreneurs that were "out of my league" be panelists by emailing and inviting them. (I was lucky and they all decided to show up, making for a great event). In summary, if you city does have a tech / startup scene, show up, network, make friends, and ask about future events to stay in the loop. If your city doesn't have a tech / startup scene, be like Ghandi and "be the change you wish to see in the world". Best, Blaine