Anyone have tips for making a networking trip to SF on a budget?

what type of tips are you looking for? Where to stay, where to eat…?

More where to stay

https://brownstone.live/ has several buildings with "capsule housing" (pods) for about $800 per month. there may be similar places. there may be hostels too. be careful with AirBnB etc., some places may be very cheap, but they may be in bad neighborhoods. some areas of SF have lots of homeless on the sidewalks, plus street crime. if you find a place, ask here about the neighborhood before you sign up.

If booking with Airbnb, check for monthly rates. Booking for an entire month is often significantly cheaper than booking for just 1.5-2 weeks, and will have a wider selection.