The co-founders of Skyscanner, Barry Smith and
Gareth Williams (pictured) have just experienced a whirlwind week
of meetings, networking, deal-cutting and partying in San
Francisco. Here, Smith shares a few insights from the trip as
WebMission 2011 comes to a close - and bids a fond farewell to the
Bay.
I don't think I've ever experienced a palpable buzz before, but
I'm pretty sure that is what we have in San Francisco.
The WebMission has been an incredible experience.
It has opened my eyes to the awesomeness of just being around in
the Bay Area - albeit for such a short space of time.
The 'Missionaries' themselves are an eclectic bunch of highly
driven entrepreneurs with equal measure of ambition and madness
thrown in. It's frightening to envision what levels of success we
will see from these companies in the next few years - and good luck
to them all.
Just being surrounded by this level of 'oomph' for a week can't
fail to inspire and motivate. I am still riding a wave of euphoria
at the endless opportunities these connections in SF open up for
Skyscanner.
To be honest, my head is buzzing from being out here - but in a
great way. Things are different here. The willingness to share
networks, take risks (however calculated), become
successful, grow your business, are at levels I don't get
to see much in the UK and Europe, which is a real shame, and
something I feel we have to wake up to.
The week has gone like a bullet train, as we arrive at our final
evening. I'm still not sure what day it is. The flight back will
deliver us some much needed time to reflect on what has happened
over the past few days. The hard work will start next week
following up on everything that has just happened.
San Francisco - thanks for your hospitality and facilitating
this mass gathering of entrepreneurs. We'll definitely see you
soon.
Find out more about Skyscanner
and WebMission