Start-Up Chile Orientation

  Last week was the Start-Up Chile orientation.  Start-Up Chile is an incubator created by the Chilean government to encoruage entrepreneurs to found tech-related companies in Chile.  We are participating in a particular program called "The S Factory" (TSF), which is a 5-month pre-accelerator program specifically for female founders (Karen!).  For the program, we're exploring an idea called Co-op Connect.  Here's our 2-sentence summary.  Stay tuned for progress updates.

  "Co-op Connect is a digital toolbox that helps people start cooperative living environments (co-ops), empowering them to save time on chores, share domestic expenses, and engage with a supportive community."

  There are 18 teams in our TSF cohort, about half of which are Chilean.  Other represented countries include Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, Pakistan, and the Netherlands.  We've gotten to know some of the foreigners more than the locals because this week was filled with visa-related errands for non-Chileans.

  Fun side note- When Serial and This American Life's podcast "S Town" came out, I didn't know what the "S" stood for.  My Mom told me it was OBVIOUS it stood for "sh*t".  Hopefully, there's no confusion about "The S Factory" program we're doing... in case it's not OBVIOUS the "S" stands for "startup" in this case.

Our Start-Up Chile Orientation Day!

The S Factory Gen 9 cohort (we're close to the middle-back)

 

Bonding over a TSF scavenger hunt around Santiago- Karen took the photo!

  To register our visas, all foreigners had to visit the Investigations Police of Chile or PDI and the Civil Registry.  If a foreigner with a pending work visa doesn't visit within 30 days of entering Chile, they have to start the visa process from their home country all over again!!!  PDI handles all things related to foreigners and the Civil Registry handles all things related to Chileans.  Since we're foreigners in the process of getting work visas, we had to visit both.  Unfortunately, the two organizations do not share information.  Start-Up Chile granted us the luxury of a group appointments at both PDI and the Civil Registry.  Altogether, we didn't spend more than an hour at either location.

  Both offices seemed *very* DMV-like with huge lines and a numbered stall system.  One notable difference, however, was the American pop music.  As we waited, loud speakers played Sweet Home Alabama to welcome us to Chile... huh?

 We've emerged from this bureaucratic process with an all-powerful RUT, an identifying number which is necessary for just about any transaction in Chile.  Although it's just printed on an official piece of paper for now, we should get the actual plastic card within 2 weeks :)