If you're job hunting in AI or tech and online applications feel like a black hole, in-person meetups in SF are still one of the faster routes to a warm introduction. The recurring ones worth your time: SF New Tech (monthly, usually at Terra Gallery or a SoMa event space, free to $20 depending on the month), AI SF meetups via Meetup.com (check the AI/ML cluster — events rotate between Dogpatch and the Financial District, most are free), and the Founders Network open events when they run them. Startup Grind SF hosts speaker nights at the Google office on Spear Street, free to register, good for early-stage and mid-career people in the same room.

What makes these more useful than a job board: the ratio of engineers to recruiters is higher than you'd expect, and most events have a 30-minute open networking block before any programming starts. Show up for that window, not after the talk. Bring something specific to say about what you're building or looking for — "I'm exploring PM roles at Series A AI companies" lands better than "I'm open to opportunities."

Practical note: SoMa events have terrible street parking after 6pm. BART to Montgomery or Powell gets you within a 10-minute walk of most venues. If it's at a Dogpatch space, take the T-Third to 22nd Street.

If you only have two hours: hit the pre-event networking block, talk to three people with a specific ask, and leave with at least one follow-up coffee scheduled. That's the whole playbook.