Observations from the Silicon Valley Trip: Four Major Changes After a Year This trip to Silicon Valley made me clearly feel several major changes compared to last year: 1️⃣ AI remains the main theme, going global is a trend Silicon Valley is still the preferred place for global AI startups. Coming to the U.S. means a larger market, a more friendly financing environment, and a higher quality talent pool compared to domestic conditions. I encountered many AI entrepreneurs and investors from China who chose to start their businesses in the U.S. against the backdrop of U.S.-China tensions; it is both an opportunity and a challenge: the "outrageous" level of high prices and recruitment costs forces one to re-evaluate business models. 2️⃣ Web3 projects are generally + AI Startups in the crypto space are now almost all linked to AI, shifting from last year's focus on infrastructure to this year's emergence of AI + applications—covering payments, data, Agents, and more. Interestingly, Web3 AI companies in the Bay Area are starting to charge traditional B-end clients; for example, @marvin_tong's Phala has already achieved B-end revenue in the million-dollar range. I must say, the gene for B2B entrepreneurship in the U.S. is truly ingrained—YC's latest batch of projects are almost all vertical AI B2B companies. 3️⃣ Financing environment accelerates differentiation Being a senior executive at a major U.S. company or a professor from academia starting a business is still a "darling" for VCs and Web2/Web3 funds; Fresh Grads are also the top choice for incubators like HF0 and YC. On the other hand, many companies are stuck in financing bottlenecks—either their monetization does not meet expectations, or their sectors are too easily crushed by giants. For founders with an Asian background, without hard indicators like data and profits, it is still very difficult to gain the favor of U.S. capital. One can refer to @Zixi41620514's financing experiences. 4️⃣ The U.S. remains a paradise for tech gurus Despite the "zombies" scattered across the streets of San Francisco, billboards are almost entirely occupied by AI companies. The annual salary of an AI Researcher can easily reach several million dollars, and acquisition prices are astonishingly high, making many Asian entrepreneurs envious. If you have hardcore technology, the U.S. is still a place worth venturing into.