Growth Hacker: Top 10 Things That Are Different in L.A.

As Enplug’s new growth hacker, I’m thrilled to be out in Southern California! I made my way to Los Angeles all the way from Rochester, New York. If you thought the Northeast was extremely different from SoCal, you were 100% right. After the first two weeks of culture shock, I’ve been able to identify the major differences. So, without further ado, here are my top 10 things that are different in Los Angeles: 10. Tesla is king Before coming to SoCal, I’d never seen a Tesla. It was like a UFO- do they ACTUALLY exist? I mean, yeah, probably, but I  guarantee I wouldn’t see one. After seeing them everywhere, I want one. I want one bad. 9. Traffic Would a “top 10 things that are different in L.A.” list be completed without traffic? Yes, it’s a very cliché addition to the list, but it’s horrible. Good-bye to my new brakes and gas mileage. 8. Mosquitos don’t exist Had I known of the lack of mosquitos, I would’ve moved down here when I originally planned to (1996 after my first episode of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air). My legs will be most thankful this summer. 7. Pharrell hats Talk about bad trends. On Sunday, I went out with some friends to Santa Monica, and was deeply ashamed at what I saw. There were at least 10 people wearing the “Pharrell hat.” Hopefully, this is just an LA problem. For the sake of humanity, I hope this is just an LA problem. 6. Distance Seven miles in Los Angeles can quickly become a 45-minute journey. I’ve learned that measuring distance in miles is just about as useless as the wanna-be actor you meet at the bar. 5. Going to target isn’t just “going to Target” On my first Saturday here, I decided to run to Target and get a few things. A quick trip turned into half of my day. After hitting traffic, lights every 30 seconds, finding parking, and making my way through a sea of people, I got my shampoo. 4. Sports times We’re heading in to the NBA/NHL finals, and I’ve watched a total of 3 games. By the time I leave our Culver City office, games are 75% complete. Football season will be the hardest to get used to; instead of beer and wings, it’ll be coffee and eggs. 3. Night mode Group chats are all the rage right now (for better and worse). I wake up around 8; my phone wakes up around 5. It’s not convenient. And then when I want to talk after my day, everyone is asleep. It’s a lose-lose for the West-coast boy. Thank you “do not disturb” mode. 2. Uber/Lyft is like a godsend I’d never used Uber until coming to Los Angeles. For the thousands of hassles that come with LA driving, it’s a steal. At this point, I can justify using Uber for almost any trip. Hell, maybe I’ll take it to work tomorrow! 1. “The shake” Apparently, everyone and their father knows of “the shake.” I didn’t. For those not from the SoCal area, the shake consists of a hand slap followed by a fist bump. As if the slap up wasn’t already complicated, now there’s another shake thrown into the mix. It would make sense for the entire world to regulate the handshake. Then maybe I’d be able to recall names 10 seconds after I meet someone. Have friends in SoCal? Share this post with them! *** Enplug digital signage software was co-founded by CEO Nanxi Liu and CTO Tina Denuit-Wojcik in 2012 to enable organizations to use customized real-time streaming content to create engaging external and internal communications.