1. I would have highly recommended you work on whatever project on the side BEFORE moving to Silicon Valley. Get feedback, build a prototype, launch, fix bugs, etc, and go somewhere with it.
2. THEN I would have recommended moving at that point, finding other startup folks looking for roommates, and join in. Gives you like minded folks who hopefully will turn out to be good roommates.
3. Finally, I'd continue working on said project and start hitting up meetups/events to spread the word while getting feedback and making new friends along the way.
Given that isn't what you're asking and say you are in SV without a project or anything going on, first order is still to find a place to live and an income source. Then proceed to work on said idea (as mentioned above) and go mingle to get some friends.
Assuming OP can program, finding a job in one of the code mines isn't going to be hard. What is going to be hard is:
1. Finding a place to live (The SF market is god awful. Living in the southbay without a car will limit any "networking" opportunities.)
2. Living within your means. We are not in Kansas anymore, that 6 figure salary in the code mines will vanish quickly when you add up rent, living expenses and entertainment (Oh, also if you come from a state with no state-tax, we have those around here too, fun!)
3. Manage to find time to hack on this project that is going "to change the world". At first, you will definitely want to go to every meetup in town and every beering event that startups provide, you will end up not having time to actually build a product. So dedicate sometime to do that too. :-)
There are a few companies that have internal reward systems like this that I've come across in the past. Usually bigger size companies. You'll have to try and validate this with target customers to see if there is enough of a need for this to be a real business.
I was excited till I saw the video too although I think his "tone" or way of speaking and quirks bugged me more than lack of a prototype and cool music. I know that's a pretty shitty thing to say but its true (at least for me). Ironically his writing came off exactly the opposite.
It was always base on if we felt there was something that would either help the company, help the engineer themselves, or of value in some other way. No set limits but usually no more than a couple conferences per year either way.
I've also seen many people who learn things incorrectly and do harm to themselves from reading this site and others as well. It goes both ways and totally up to interpretation. As I once crossed a book in a bookstore which a cover which read "It's not what you say, its what they hear". Everyone interpret everything differently and sometimes this could be good and sometimes it could be bad. I think its all in perception.
1. Actually understands the full extent of the business side.
You wouldn't partner with a coder who can't code and is learning on the job so why would a technical founder want to partner with a non-technical "business" cofounder who doesn't know anything, worse, think he does?
This includes actual knowledge on things like knowing how to actually acquire customers and said metrics, not just be able to recite shit you read off HN or some blogs. Actual experience...
2. Without knowing how to code, at least be extremely knowledgeable about technical topics. Steve Jobs probably couldn't code squat but he understands enough. That's all I need too.
3. Extremely fast learner and can break habits quick. This one almost every person I've met failed at. Very few actually have been able to do this and they are gems.
2. THEN I would have recommended moving at that point, finding other startup folks looking for roommates, and join in. Gives you like minded folks who hopefully will turn out to be good roommates.
3. Finally, I'd continue working on said project and start hitting up meetups/events to spread the word while getting feedback and making new friends along the way.
Given that isn't what you're asking and say you are in SV without a project or anything going on, first order is still to find a place to live and an income source. Then proceed to work on said idea (as mentioned above) and go mingle to get some friends.