Disclaimer – I’m an American digital nomad that spends short periods in different places around the world. Therefore, this guide is based on my personal experiences and connections as a startup founder who’s building an international network. I’m blogging about the resources I found to help others get connected in cities they aren’t familiar with.
Why is Mexico City a Tech Hub?
It’s the largest city in North America, followed by NYC and LA. It’s also the capital of Mexico and hub for the LATAM region. Most investors will even expect startups to show their scalability here before they can receive the next round of funding. Expats building startups moved here because of two main reasons:
Huge opportunity to innovate and interest from the community to try something new
Lower cost of living so can extend runway.
Where to Stay
If you’re building for a community outside of the country, I would recommend finding neighborhoods where expats generally spend most of their time at. In Mexico City, those neighborhoods are Condesa, Roma Norte, and Polanco.
Where to Find Networking Events
Public events hosted by:
Chany Ventures: for women-identifying entrepreneurs and industry leaders
Breaking Bread CDMX: weekly supper club for expats
Member-only events hosted by:
Latitud: for startup founders building in LATAM
Founder Institute: for aspiring entrepreneurs learn about the foundations of building a startup and has a global network
On Deck: for people in the global startup ecosystem who participate in the fellowship programs
YCombinator: for startup founders building a new startup and has a global network
WhatsApp channels (message me if you want the invite link):
Global Gals in CDMX
Entrepreneurs in Mexico
Where to Cowork
WeWork: membership for space to work and have meetings; chill startups or freelance expats energy
Soho House: members-only club but members can bring in guests; socialite expat vibes
Haab: an international community for coworking, socializing, and participating in wellness events
How to do Business Development
People here operate based on how trustworthy you are, so it heavily feels relationship-based with a smidge of bluntness. Leave the super transactional and fluffy business talk in the U.S. I recommend getting to know who you’re working with by spending in-person time with them.
Language: Spanish strongly preferred, but a lot of people do speak English.
Attire: Business professional means suit and dress shoes. Business casual means collared shirt and sneakers. Most people will be in business casual for events.
Comment/Reach out if you have other recommendations or tips. I’ll try to keep this guide updated.
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