“What really stood out to me here is learning directly from people who have actually built companies.”
Can you introduce yourself? Tell us your name, where you’re from, and a bit about your background.
Hi, I’m Martin. I come from Slovenia, and I have a background in economics. I’m currently finishing my studies in Ljubljana.
I’ve done an internship at Hilti headquarters in Liechtenstein, and alongside that, I’ve been helping my brother with his startup, mostly on the founding and sales side. I’m also working on my own startup now.
How is ABC helping you with your startups?
What we are getting here is really practical. We’re learning from people who have experience, people who have already built companies.
I think I can take this knowledge and use it both for my own startup and also to support my brother, especially if we want to expand and go to the US market.
The network here is also very valuable. You meet people who think in a similar way, and that pushes you forward.
How does this compare to your previous international experiences?
I wouldn’t really compare them directly because I think every international experience is valuable in its own way.
I’ve been to places like Turkey, Prague, and Cyprus, and what they all have in common is the people you meet and the different cultures. You become more open-minded, and you learn how to see things from different perspectives.
But here, I would say it’s very action-oriented. Being surrounded by people with ideas motivates you to actually do something with them, not just think about them.
Why did you want to come to Silicon Valley?
For me, Silicon Valley has always been the heart of startups. I wanted to experience how people think here, how the ecosystem works, and what the environment is like.
From what we’ve seen, it’s very open, very dynamic, and you can really feel that this is where a lot of innovation and investment happens.
Who was your favorite guest speaker?
It’s hard to pick just one because every speaker brought a different perspective and experience.
But if I had to choose, I would say Ana, partly because she’s from Slovenia. Her story felt very personal, and she shared not only the successes but also the challenges, which made it more real and motivating.
