How Akshay Built a Startup in San Francisco (Silicon Valley) as an International Student

Welcome to the fifth episode of The Huh Show! In this insightful episode, we sit down with Akshay, an alumnus of both IIT Bombay and Columbia University, who is now navigating the dynamic world of startups in San Francisco. Join us as Akshay shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, discussing the critical decision to build a startup instead of pursuing a traditional tech career. He offers invaluable advice for aspiring founders, especially those on an F1 visa, covering everything from the O-1 visa process to the power of building a strong network on platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Whether you're a student, a budding entrepreneur, or just curious about the startup ecosystem, this episode is packed with practical tips and inspiration. Discover how to find co-founders, validate your ideas, and leverage founder communities to accelerate your growth. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Introduction to the episode 0:01:23 - Guest introduction 0:02:13 - Akshay's journey from IIT to Columbia 0:03:37 - Why Akshay chose to do a startup 0:04:40 - The process of starting a company on an F1 visa 0:06:40 - The O-1 visa process explained 0:09:15 - Why Akshay chose to build his startup in San Francisco 0:11:43 - Akshay’s experience as a solo founder 0:14:17 - How to approach finding a co-founder 0:16:04 - Using X (formerly Twitter) for networking in the startup scene 0:17:54 - The importance of founder communities in SF 0:21:42 - Iterating through startup ideas 0:24:08 - How to come up with startup ideas 0:26:42 - What a typical day looks like for a founder 0:28:51 - Akshay's current projects 0:32:04 - Advice for students and aspiring entrepreneurs 0:41:17 - Closing remarks