Getting a visa in the US is difficult but can be done with the right amount of focus and effort. This is just our story (and everyone's is different) but happy to discuss and share any details, answer any questions etc.
I agree their financing path is unique to the way they've built their product and team, but I think parts of it can still be replicable to other startups. ie not gearing the whole future of the company towards the big exit, but using VC money to create a more organic route..
I think Buffer is creating a third way for startups in general. Everything i've seen and heard these guys do since launch has been unorthodox. They're outliers and I mean that as a big compliment!
Wow what a story!i was an avid upcoming user in London back in 2007 and inspired my own startup back then.. Insane to learn now it was a side project! The first refusal idea should be part of a startup code or guidelines that all adhere to..
Bottom line to a question like this is "it depends". Define yourself in advance what your hoped for return on investment is. eg new users, new investor leads, contacts, new hires, press, the story etc. And see how you perform against your benchmarks. I ran a small startup in London once that paid to pitch at Techcrunch startup alley in SF. Well it led indirectly to my startup getting acquired and moved from London to SF where i live now. So it was worth it, but that value didnt directly come from the conference. Had I not gone though, i'd not have made the contacts that led to this journey..good luck!
It will be a tough space no doubt. Even Motorola, LG, Sony and others will struggle. But you have an advantage. You can trade on individuality and the tied up emotions that come from hundreds of years of watchmaking, a personal and almost sacred trade. Apple and the others can never offer that. Don't compete with them. Create your own unique value. Emotion and personal connection is still critical with watches..
Great article. I run a British startup and we're thinking about doing business in the US at some point. Randomly I grabbed coffee with Amir this morning and just a few minutes from someone who's been through it was incredibly useful! Information sharing amongst startups needs to happen more!