Hosted a dinner for Indian-American founders in SF. Some observations : - We've great examples set by other Indian founders who have made it big. That means that Indians have generally a positive perception/reputation in Silicon Valley. - Biases still exist. Many founders shy from putting their face in front. If you're a first generation immigrant, you have an accent which can hinder meetings and more. People actively work on presenting themselves in the best possible way. - Schools matter more for immigrant founders but proof-of-work is still the top criteria for getting a seat at the table. - Storytelling doesn't come naturally. You need to be confident in telling your wins. Indians have been taught to remain humble, so it takes some de-conditioning to adjust to the US startup world. - There are many pros of being an Indian in the US : Good reputation, can make friends easily, great hosts ('atithi devo bhava' is deeply rooted), command of English, generally smart in math/science/economics (hard skills always help), the concept of universalism etc. - Some founders didn't tell their parents for years about their startups as they aren't 'safe' career options. We discussed on how upbringing doesn't encourage risk-taking, asking questions, exploration, travel (taking year off for example). Things are changing now though. - Food binds Indians. It's a soft power in the US as well - people love Indian food here. Great restaurants in Bay Area like Rooh, Copra, Ettan etc. have taken Indian food to the next level. - The West is interested in Indian spirituality, Yoga, meditation and more. Holi is celebrated at @Stanford, Diwali is so popular here, garba nights go on for days. These small things add up and you don't feel as an 'outsider'. - When you see people like you succeed, you dream big. @kanwal946 became the first Indian-American founder to take a VC backed company public on the Nasdaq. He then started @tiesv to help other Indian Americans to shoot for the moon. @vkhosla became a top VC after Sun. Indian-Americans like @naval, @balajis, @SurbhiSarnaSF, @dheeraj, @apoorva_mehta and others have built generational companies. - @sundarpichai,@satyanadella and Indra Nooyis have proven Indians founders can lead behemoths. A huge win for the ecosystem. - Last thing - The previous generation of Indian Americans changed their names (Jeevan became John), hairstyles, accents and living style to be accepted. The new generation is proudly Indian AND American - they've taken the best from both the cultures. This is the new America. Thanks to everyone for joining the dinner. It was an evening well spent 🙌 Thanks to @jpmorgan, @leendotdev and @googlecloud for being amazing partners.