#bucksofwoodside

This article was the result of an unplanned visit by one of our volunteers with Jamis MacNiven, Owner of Buck's Of Woodside, which resulted in a free-wheeling conversation with him the following day that touched upon topics such as startups, Florida, the Venture Capital world, and a Bollywood movie which his son produced, among other things.  The original title for this article was "Buck's Of Woodside Offers Courtside Seats to the Venture Capital Game", however, during editing, another quote from the author surfaced as the winning caption.

  It reminded me of an antique store in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

It reminded me that I was in the countryside.  A dance floor and line-dancing wouldn't have been out of place at all.

Hanging lights with lampshades above the bar at Buck's of Woodside in Silicon Valley.

I had researched the restaurant briefly as one of the suggested stops for anyone visiting Silicon Valley in an earlier blog post.  Serendipity, the kindness of friends and their incredible warmth and hospitality found me staying in the area for days at a stretch.  Therefore, I invariably drove by Buck's of Woodside at least two times everyday during my recent trip to Silicon Valley.  Meeting a VC to pitch a startup was not on my agenda, at least not in this trip.  However, I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to stop and see if I could get a feel for the essence of the place. 

These don't get used as much I suspect, but there's a parking lot that hosts fancy cars.  Woodside has quite a few horse ranches, but I saw no horses near Buck's of Woodside.

In our quest to create a booming startup ecosystem in Florida, understanding the cultural aspects of what has worked in Silicon Valley might have lessons one could draw upon. 

While HackerDojo in Mountain View greeted visitors with its Bitcoin Kiosk, here at the epicenter of Venture Capital deals over meals, you have a giant fish greeting you in the parking lot and a whole lot of Americana collectibles inside Buck's Of Woodside.

Your view as soon as you enter the Buck's Of Woodside restaurant in Silicon Valley. 

Cowboy boots light up the bar at Buck's Of Woodside in Silicon Valley

Therefore, here are some observations and impressions.  Hope you enjoy this article as much as I enjoyed putting it together.  I have also included a couple of videos that I managed to capture of the owner Jamis MacNiven, who very graciously gave of his time and attention to me. 

He calls himself the Pancake Man.  We just call him The Man! Meet the owner of Buck's Of Woodside, Jamis MacNiven.  Look for videos included with this article where Jamis MacNiven, an avid reader and history buff talks about his world.

Jamis started by talking about how his son Tyler MacNiven is a producer of the movie 'Big in Bollywood', a world he was introduced to through a classmate Omi Vaidya who was the 'fourth idiot' in the Bollywood blockbuster '3 Idiots'.

We talked about the branding of SiliconGlades, and how a young startup recently moved out of Tampa to Philadelphia.  All of Europe combined does not have much of a startup scene and that is because of how Silicon Valley tolerates failure, said Jamis MacNiven.  As a result young startup founders see their startups as a ticket out of their locations to Silicon Valley, he thought.

Jamis MacNivens used to be in construction and built restaurants.  He considers himself a restauranteur and an inventor.  He has learned about technology through osmosis, he said.  He reads an hour a day.  His favorite subjects include history, science and mathematics.  When asked for names of books he mentions 'Is God a Mathematician', though - he clarifies - he is not a mathematician.  He rattles off names and words like Plato, Pythagorus Theorem and String Theory as topics he soaks up.  History is a top choice, he said.  Ballooning is another favorite topic.  Jamis attends conferences such as TED, and talks to friends in the venture capital business, who are also patrons at his restaurant.

If you have ever had dealings with predominantly business communities in Mumbai, you will have observed that no dealings are done on an empty stomach. Clients are always received with a steaming cup of masala chai (not chai tea).  To close a deal start with a meal.  From everything I heard and saw at Bucks of Woodside, there's no VC deal without a Buck's Of Woodside meal.

Owner Jamis MacNiven calls it an accident of geography -- that a big part of the VC world operates a mile or so away.  Buck's Of Woodside is just an exit away from Sand Hill Road off Highway 280,  where many Venture Capital firms have their offices.  There are also scenic backroads that connect the two roads, and also connect Palo Alto and the Stanford campus.  There are a few interesting diners in the area, but Buck's Of Woodside seems to have a character acquired over the years, with different tables having different stories of well-known businesses being launched or formed.

Jamis MacNiven, Owner of Buck's Of Woodside seems to be someone who loves authenticity.  He picked up on that trait in Florida eateries when waxing eloquent about Florida's boat culture and its home-grown restaurants.  He did say he has no intentions of opening a Buck's at Riverside or Buck's at Oceanside in Florida, however, we consider that project a work-in-progress. Jamis also talks about how Tesla was founded at his restaurant because the founders are from Woodside.

Here's another video where Jamis talks about Florida, disruptive technology in the restaurant industry and other fascinating subjects.

Buck's Of Woodside, despite its many distractions, had quite a few men in suits and startup folks whose privacy I wanted to respect, so we have no pictures of those individuals.  It was a scene of contrasts, almost as if the men in suits had been photoshopped into a campground eatery inside an antique store.

If all the booths are taken, be prepared to be seated alongside the bar to explain your startup's business model while reading the VC's lips.

Despite the reputation of Buck's Of Woodside as the stomping grounds for VCs in suits, there's a casual and down-to-earth side to the staff and the owner.  I witnessed a job-interview from afar and saw someone get hired.  My camera missed the moment, so Jamis and his staff obliged me with a retake. It was as good as the first take.

VC interviews aren't the only ones that occur at Buck's Of Woodside.  Job interviews for Bucks' staff seem like very informal affairs.  

Even in the midst of conversation Jamis MacNiven has his eye on every detail in the restaurant, including every light bulb.  That's attention to detail. 

If you take a look around there are several artifacts.  Jamis said he collected them, and some were given to him.  It makes for conversation, but it is just one of many things that makes Buck's what it is.

Jamis was gracious to take the time to learn about me as well.  As the hour came to a close and it was time to leave, I asked Jamis to share any words of wisdom based on his courtside view of the happenings in Silicon Valley over the past couple of decades.  "There's no need for a 20-page document when explaining your business.  Tell a story that sticks" was how he summed up his advice.

As I think about it, the thing that stands out about Buck's Of Woodside is its comfort with its quirks and how it wears its success lightly.  Jamis MacNiven, without spelling it out, may have shared a valuable lesson for any city looking to emulate the success of Silicon Valley - 'Be Yourself'.  In highlighting Florida's boat culture and local eateries that are endemic to Florida, he may have provided a clue that every place, including Florida ought to build or rebuild gathering places that have a local history and are steeped in the local culture, where startups can gather and investors can find them.

Let's take a quick look around Bucks Of Woodside, as I took a few pictures on my way out.  Comments are mine so they may not be accurate if historical references are involved. 

Pictures on the walls in the back of the restaurant.

Wallpaper made of newspaper.

Commercials near the bathrooms.

A plea for help from a distressed person from Greece, displayed for Bucks' customers to read and help out.

A piece of Silicon Valley history on display.

Poster near the bathrooms.

The Statue of Liberty with an ice-cream cone, at the entrance, and a dirigible (steerable balloon) by Zeppelin on the ceiling behind.

Steve Jobs.

A stock certificate of iTulip.com

An award for tooting one's own horn.

If you want a background on some of these and other artifacts, take a look at the pictures in this Business Insider article on the web.