Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

theglobeandmail.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

381–390 of 715 posts

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#381

Post by dep_b »

Kluny wrote: post #56

Canadian here. I get $65,000 USD from my remote American job. That's low enough that people on this forum snicker at me, and high enough that companies in the "tech town" that I live in physically wince when I tell them my salary expectation. I'd rather work locally, but what can I do?

I have the same problem. Even for US standards low paid remote work for the US from outside the US pays more than a senior software engineer in most Western countries. There are some nice career options that I might need to skip because the difference in pay is huge.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#382

Post by SAS721 »

Since when is the whole US tech scene the same as Silicon Valley. All the statistics they showed were Canadians moving to the US in general for tech jobs. I am sure they are not all moving to Silicon Valley. Based on their own statistics seems like they should be going to Austin.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#383

Post by seabrookmx »

Kluny wrote: post #279
privacypoller wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you're in Victoria? that's not a cheap place to live, especially if you're considering buying a home. That companies think you're paid highly for your area is kind of this entire problem in a nutshell.

Exactly. I'm making more than my father did when he retired, yet I'll be stretched to afford the cheapest one-bedroom condo. Renting is cheaper, but there are no rentals available.

That's 80-85k CAD. The market for local jobs in Victoria is easily competitive with that.

There's opportunities to make six (Canadian) figures in Victoria if you have enough buzzwords on your resume to convince a recruiter or HR person you're "full-stack" (I hate the term but you have to play the game if you want to get hired).

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#384

Post by seabrookmx »

ShaunK wrote: post #207
Kluny wrote: post #56

Canadian here. I get $65,000 USD from my remote American job. That's low enough that people on this forum snicker at me, and high enough that companies in the "tech town" that I live in physically wince when I tell them my salary expectation. I'd rather work locally, but what can I do?

I too am in Victoria. I used to be a hiring manager and had people turn down 6 figure (CAD) offers due to receiving a better one. Although there is admittedly a huge gap between the local companies, and the satellite offices of American companies. Look at KIXEYE, Change.org, Workday, Abe Books (Amazon subsidiary). They typically pay up to 50% more than the local companies, but also typically have higher expectations…

Sendwithus, Ingrooves, Illumina.. oh wait.. scratch that last one :)

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#385

Post by jackconnor »

$73K to $130 - $140 is an enormous difference. Like it or not, they need to pay more if they want top talent.

Not sure what they can do to change that, I'm seeing a lot of interesting ideas in these comments. But, harsh truth, if you're paying that far below market rates in the states, I would expect almost all of Canada's talented software devs to look abroad, it's just not nearly enough money.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#386

Post by rbanffy »

kasey_junk wrote: post #84
rbanffy wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You haven't driven stick shift until you have driven stick shift in Europe. Extra points if you change gears with the left hand.

Do you mean the UK? Cause driving stick in the rest of Europe isn’t hardly at all different than in the states.

It's harder to find automatic transmissions here. You essentially have the full model range with manual transmission, not only low end and sportscars.

And I've changed gears with my right hand my whole life. Changing gears with the left just "feels" right.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#387

Post by vkou »

ajeet_dhaliwal wrote: post #147
_xzxj wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Canadian here (who lives outside of Canada but recently did a stint there for a bit) and this will sound negative but f-it. Canadian culture sucks when it comes to trying new things. Canada has some extra safety net but the culture is puritanical and conservative and nobody wants to go out on a limb and try something new and crazy. Not like Americans. Those that do are constantly questioned by everybody. The idea of…

The idea of being an entrepreneur, in the GTA especially, is buying a second house in the suburbs and hoping the housing market continues rising. That had me LOL because I think it’s so true. If you were to suggest perhaps to start a business that innovates you’d be considered crazy. Although of course the new tech out of the USA will be adopted by all immediately.

You'd be considered crazy, because you can't throw a brick, and hit a VC that will give you money for a no team, no product, no idea startup.

You'd also be considered crazy if you expressed those ideas in Chicago or San Diego, or Charleston, but that doesn't mean that we stereotypes about America not respecting 'changemakers' are accurate.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#388

Post by taysic »

trhway wrote: post #236
tanilama wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Silicon Valley, most likely you are not going to afford a house anyway.. .

Sunnyvale (current ground zero of Apple) median is close to 2M - that is only 5x of $400K which a lot of FANG and other engineers pull yearly (and that is the main reason for current SV home prices as, during such low mortgage rates, the market is naturally self-adjusting to 5-6x of prevalent salaries. In 2008 those houses were $700-800K+ - the 5-6x of those $120K-150K salaries back then).

Is 400k really for a lot of engineers? How many years of experience?

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#389

Post by brandon272 »

rdlecler1 wrote: post #329
brandon272 wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Those that do are constantly questioned by everybody. My exposure is more western Canada than eastern Canada, but I find that your statements couldn't be further from the truth. People here are constantly trying new things and exploring and experimenting with new business ideas. I see great optimism and people who see potential. And in terms of being constantly questioned, I just don't see that where I am, but I al…

Originally from Calgary and I concur with the poster above. Canadians tend to think small. For venture the culture has been so burned by pump and dump penny stocks that there is no patient capital. Canada needs an enormous influx of venture capital. The problem is, is that the crown corporations who can make those bets are limited to investing in Canadian funds. If they could invest 10% into a US fund and the US fund…

Are we talking about entrepreneurs or investors? I was talking about entrepreneurs, myself, and I think my point stands. I agree that the market for capital and venture investing is far different in Canada than in the US. But as far as that is concerned, couldn't it be argued that the market for venture capital and investing is far different in Silicon Valley than in most other places in the U.S., even?
Post reply on HN