I personally know two foreign founders in the U.S on the O-1. From their experiences, the most important thing has been national press coverage, especially thr

I personally know two foreign founders in the U.S on the O-1. From their experiences, the most important thing has been national press coverage, especially through traditional media institutions, though not necessarily in print or on TV (that said, they do have both). The second most important thing was a good immigration lawyer specialising in this category - the process is long and expensive, and requires a broad set of documentation. Letters of recommendation from inside and outside the U.S, conference speaking, research and industry whitepapers, outstanding academics can all help.