Should You Move Your Company to Silicon Valley?

Migicovsky says a company should consider moving if its customers, or its best early customers, are in Silicon Valley. Being nearby makes it easier to get feedback, build solutions, and iterate quickly. If customers are concentrated where the company already operates, staying close to them may be the better choice.

Migicovsky describes meeting an open-source creator by chance in a coffee shop and getting lunch with an early Macintosh team member after reaching out by email. He says Silicon Valley's concentration of experienced tech people can help at important moments. After Pebble's Kickstarter took off, a late-night burger conversation with a YC friend helped him plan the campaign's next steps.

The number of ambitious companies nearby can make it harder to stand out and can feel discouraging, especially when others raise large rounds. Migicovsky also found that seeing companies achieve a lot pushed him to move faster. He says work that took Pebble three years in Canada could have been done in six months in Silicon Valley.

Migicovsky compares rent of 450 Canadian dollars a month in Waterloo with 3,000 dollars a month in Silicon Valley, and says high costs also make hiring harder. He suggests founders might first work at a Bay Area tech company to save money and build a network. Staying can make sense when customers, research connections, or strong hiring pools give a company an advantage, especially in a lower-cost region.

Founders who stay elsewhere can still spend time in the Bay Area to develop a network, particularly if they plan to raise money and build a high-growth company. Migicovsky points to YC's three-month program as a way for international founders to experience the area without relocating permanently. Some companies raise a seed round during the program, then return to a place where they have an advantage.