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The Founder's Guide to NYC
Haris Jaliawala
March 02, 2025
Intro
Why NYC?
There's something different about building in New York City.
Maybe it's because you can meet a potential customer, investor, or co-founder on any given subway ride. Where else do you casually cross paths with fashion designers from SoHo, traders from Wall Street, and healthcare researchers from the Upper East Side – all in the same day?
The city's diversity spans industries, perspectives, and possibilities – from Fortune 500 boardrooms to underground art studios. This diversity creates a unique advantage for founders. While other tech hubs talk about changing the world, New York is the world in microcosm. Your market research happens naturally over coffee shops, subway rides, and neighborhood bodegas. Your assumptions get tested not by an echo chamber of tech enthusiasts, but by the most demanding and diverse user base on the planet.
The city's density doesn't just mean more networking opportunities – it means faster learning cycles. Every interaction, whether it's a scheduled meeting or a chance encounter, has the potential to reshape your understanding of your market. New York doesn't just connect you to customers; it immerses you in their daily lives.
This guide is your map to navigating and leveraging this ecosystem. Whether you're relocating your startup, starting fresh, or just exploring the possibility, we'll cover everything from the practical (where to work, live, and meet) to the strategic (who to know, where to find them, and how to plug into the right communities).