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Ask HN: New to SF--where do I meet people?

8 points by throwaway_sf ↗ HN
Hi everyone,

I just relocated to SF and I know almost nothing about the city. Where are good places to get out and meet people? Are there sites that list upcoming quality tech events?

If it helps, I am a freelance iOS developer who is bootstrapping a new product.

Thanks!

14 comments

[ 4.4 ms ] story [ 41.8 ms ] thread
andymoe
Why a throwaway account?
throwaway_sf
I'm normally just a lurker here so I created an account to post this question. I intend to creep back to the shadows of HN after this :).
andymoe
I'd say that's not the best approach to meet new people.
throwaway_sf
I posted a question about where to meet people in SF. You have not answered this question and are not contributing in any meaningful way to the discussion I am interested in having.

Furthermore, I was downvoted for putting an honest reply as to why I named this account as I did. I doubt it would've raised any eyebrows if I named this account "new_to_sf" which is functionally equivalent.

THIS is why I lurk on HN and want to meet people in the real world instead. Ridiculous.

andymoe
Point taken. My partner and I run a drone startup meetup with 1000+ members [1] and also build an iOS app and hardware to control UAVs at long range. Sign up and come meet some new people next time we put one on.

My point was that if you put yourself out their instead of lurking people will respond better (instead of how I and other did) and can also reach out to you. If we know nothing about you or what makes you tick we have no connection and no reason to spend our time helping you out.

http://www.meetup.com/SF-Drones-Startup-Meetup

cblock811
Odd to use a throwaway account. Anyways start with Meetups. You'll get to know some of the more social techies in the area. Search the most active Meetup groups in the area and go from there. They can be non technical too (I'm sure there are loads of hobby related meetups too, I just don't attend them)
foolishdream
I'd steer clear of meetups, hackathons, etc. Most of them are polluted with low signal/noise. I've found them to be a total waste of time but it's a great way to get that initial job if you don't have one already. You need things that are curated by cost, signal, or strong mutual acquaintance. Meetups usually don't have high enough obstacles to avoid pretend programmers.

The best way is engaging smart coworkers. These are the people that are going to vouch for you, shortcut the hiring process, help carve out good opportunities for you.

Other things I've done with varying success is randomly contact people off forums that I might be in a position to immediately help; inform existing contacts and ask them if they know people that I should meet out there; develop parallel hobbies like soccer, rock climbing, etc that can segue into deeper friendships. Engaging quality coworkers and these other activities tend to compound over time.

elyrly
I disagree with meetups and hackthons being a low signal to find like minded individuals. If spending a weekend hacking on a project at a hackathon or a few hours after work attending a meetup does not foster a community of well intentioned developers i don't know what other avenue OP will meet people. But with any open events there is the inventible freeloaders.

Meet-ups/Hackathons/Concerts/Sports/Bars/Social-clubs

foolishdream
What has come out of contacts you initially met at meetups and hackathons? How long have you been going to them? How long have you been a developer? How many jobs have you had?

How does that compare to your network from coworkers, old bosses, friends, acquaintances that were not initially from tech focused meet ups?

dllthomas
I've made two friends at meet ups good enough that I've kept in touch outside of them - one of whom I've been doing some coding with. I've also run into people in person who I'd previously known from IRC or reddit (and one former classmate I had lost touch with) .

The quality of the experience certainly varies substantially, meet-up group to meet-up group. Fortunately, there's no commitment - if you go to one and it sucks, don't go to that one again.

bgoldste
I'd be down to at least grab a drink, is there a non creepy way to get in touch from hn?
ashraful
I faced the same problem when I moved to SF last year. I'm not sure what the best way is. You could try going to meetups but its very hit and miss. Working from a co-working space (or even a coffee shop) might be helpful too. It all depends on how extroverted you are and how comfortable you are in approaching people and striking up a conversation.

I've been working on an iOS app to help hackers meet each other. Its called HackerLunch and I'm hoping to launch it next month (hackerlunch.com - sign up if you want me to email you when I launch).

The app basically pairs you up with another hacker everyday at lunch (or less frequently if you want). I tried to make the experience as frictionless and easy as possible. I'm hoping people will find it useful.

throwaway_sf
Thanks for the advice. Your app sounds perfect! I'm going to sign up for the email notifications.
tom3k
cool idea! I've also just moved to SF and am looking for ways to find a co-founder/someone to help me out with the project I'm working on.