The Silicon Valley Mindset vs. The New York Mindset for Selling Products and Services
I have worked in both Silicon Valley and Wall Street. I’ve been bitten by both the “build cool shit” bug and the “make more money” bug. I’ve worn a suit & tie for my job as well as a hoodie & shorts to my workplace.
It’s fascinating to explore these contrasting worlds and the different sides of our personalities through the lens of Valley and NYC.
So, how is the Silicon Valley mindset different from the New York mindset for creating businesses, solving problems, and selling products & services?
Here are three ways how business is done differently:
1️. Build first vs. Sell first
In Silicon Valley, founders often come up with new ideas from their daily walks of life, develop a hypothesis, build the product, and assume that customers would be attracted to it like a magnet if it’s a cool product. They don’t seek permission/approval and are only limited by their imagination.
In New York, it’s more common to collect all the requirements from a client upfront, map out their systems & constraints, put everything on paper, and close a sale. This is smart because they aren’t gambling on an untested idea. But on the other extreme, it could also result in “vapor selling”, in which products or services are promoted & sold before they even exist.
2️. Moonshots vs. Roofshots
The Silicon Valley mindset is often associated with a culture of experimentation, a willingness to take risks, and embrace failure as a learning opportunity. This is why the Silicon Valley mindset may be more conducive to pursuing moonshot projects that are highly ambitious and risky.
In contrast, the New York mindset is often more focused on minimizing risk & uncertainty and maximizing returns. This is why there is a greater emphasis on trust and reliability. As a result, the New York mindset may be more focused on roofshot projects that have more predictable economics but lower probabilities of outsized rewards.
3. Headspace vs. Hustle
The hustle mindset and culture of working hard on Wall Street are driven by high pressure and the expectation of long hours. Those who are able to put in their blood & sweat and say “yes” to new opportunities are often the ones who thrive and have greater career success. It’s amazing to see much one can humanly accomplish by pushing their boundaries and working 16-hour days.
Silicon Valley’s hacker culture prides itself in saying “no” to the grind. They believe that reducing stress & prioritizing overall well-being is key to creative exploration. Techies pursue a meditative state of mind to improve focus, productivity, and unconventional thinking. Once you realize that having an uncluttered state of mind creates the headspace to think outside the box. That can’t be done when you’re constantly burned out, jumping from one task to another.
Is one mindset better than the other? Probably not. I’d think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
If you like this article, please give it some love 💜 ! Did you know that each reader can give an article 50 claps by just pressing and holding the clap button? 👏 👏 👏 👏.
If you’re interested in reading more about product management, technology, and the future, follow me on LinkedIn and subscribe to the publication: Product Coalition.
