The last days of Silicon Roundabout • Hacker News Board

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#11

Post by erdo » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:03 PM UTC

KaiserPro wrote: post #10

walshemj wrote: post #3

Not surprised there are nicer bits of London to set up in - not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. Before it was Silicon Roundabout BT had a couple of big offices that I used to go to occasionally and the area was a real dump back then. Ironically in 95 or so I was up for a board (promotion) at 207 old street and was extoling all the cool things I was doing with the www and internet - unfo…

> not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. I really dont understand why people want to work there. Its a really expensive shithole still. Granted there are now lots of new offices full of tech workers, but thats not a selling point. Facebook and google moved out of soho for kings bloody cross. I suspect the real reason is that its the only site left big enough to put multi-thousand person of…

Yeah I think that's it, there just isn't enough available space in soho and covent garden

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#12

Post by aqualinux » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:07 PM UTC

tmitchel2 wrote: post #7

erdo wrote: post #2

Is this article down playing the effects of Brexit a little? I used to work in Silicon Roundabout and now I live in Paris, I know plenty of developers who've moved out of the UK because of Brexit, but none who have moved to the UK since Brexit was finalised. It must be getting harder and harder for London based startups to find a dev team

I think the article was quite balanced. If anything the tech scene is better since Brexit but I suspect that's in large part to the pandemic. However, if you worked for one of the faultering European investment banks then perhaps you would disagree. I personally doubt the government's involvement made any difference to Silicon roundabout whatsoever. It was already well known as our tech hub in those days and the rent…

"If anything the tech scene is better since Brexit but I suspect that's in large part to the pandemic"

Tech investment in London was growing after the Brexit vote and before the start of the pandemic

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#13

Post by Gortal278 » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:10 PM UTC

KaiserPro wrote: post #10

walshemj wrote: post #3

Not surprised there are nicer bits of London to set up in - not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. Before it was Silicon Roundabout BT had a couple of big offices that I used to go to occasionally and the area was a real dump back then. Ironically in 95 or so I was up for a board (promotion) at 207 old street and was extoling all the cool things I was doing with the www and internet - unfo…

> not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. I really dont understand why people want to work there. Its a really expensive shithole still. Granted there are now lots of new offices full of tech workers, but thats not a selling point. Facebook and google moved out of soho for kings bloody cross. I suspect the real reason is that its the only site left big enough to put multi-thousand person of…

I think ease of commute is a main factor

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#14

Post by jen20 » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:28 PM UTC

walshemj wrote: post #5

erdo wrote: post #2

Is this article down playing the effects of Brexit a little? I used to work in Silicon Roundabout and now I live in Paris, I know plenty of developers who've moved out of the UK because of Brexit, but none who have moved to the UK since Brexit was finalised. It must be getting harder and harder for London based startups to find a dev team

Maybe fintec startups want to be closer to the city

You really can't get much closer without being _in_ the city...

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#15

Post by jen20 » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:34 PM UTC

Gortal278 wrote: post #13

KaiserPro wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. I really dont understand why people want to work there. Its a really expensive shithole still. Granted there are now lots of new offices full of tech workers, but thats not a selling point. Facebook and google moved out of soho for kings bloody cross. I suspect the real reason is that its the only site left big enough to put multi-thousand person of…

I think ease of commute is a main factor

Yup - both HS1, Thameslink and several "northern" trains go into Kings Cross/St Pancras or Euston (a ~5 minute walk), whereas approximately nothing goes to Old Street.

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#16

Post by thinkingemote » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:36 PM UTC

KaiserPro wrote: post #10

walshemj wrote: post #3

Not surprised there are nicer bits of London to set up in - not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. Before it was Silicon Roundabout BT had a couple of big offices that I used to go to occasionally and the area was a real dump back then. Ironically in 95 or so I was up for a board (promotion) at 207 old street and was extoling all the cool things I was doing with the www and internet - unfo…

> not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. I really dont understand why people want to work there. Its a really expensive shithole still. Granted there are now lots of new offices full of tech workers, but thats not a selling point. Facebook and google moved out of soho for kings bloody cross. I suspect the real reason is that its the only site left big enough to put multi-thousand person of…

The big companies have their own free restaurants and even bars inside so employees do not need to leave their buildings. Thus where the place is, is less important than with smaller companies. As a similar example, in silicon valley, they have convoys of buses from the nearby city to their offices. Where they work means nothing much.

Additionally being close to other companies is less important for networking when you are a monopoly!

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#17

Post by lostdog » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:41 PM UTC

Everything I read on the internet suggests that UK tech salaries are extremely low, and that the profession has a low level of respect overall.

I have many many foreign or first generation immigrant coworkers, but almost no one British. I'm surprised, because there's no language barrier and a minimal cultural barrier, but still the vast majority of my coworkers are from places that are much harder to immigrate from.

If any UKites have made it to this thread, is be curious to hear why so few people leave for countries with a stronger and higher paying tech sector?

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#18

Post by dkdbejwi383 » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:53 PM UTC

lostdog wrote: post #17

Everything I read on the internet suggests that UK tech salaries are extremely low, and that the profession has a low level of respect overall. I have many many foreign or first generation immigrant coworkers, but almost no one British. I'm surprised, because there's no language barrier and a minimal cultural barrier, but still the vast majority of my coworkers are from places that are much harder to immigrate from.…

> If any UKites have made it to this thread, is be curious to hear why so few people leave for countries with a stronger and higher paying tech sector?

Where do you suggest?

I only speak English to any decent level, German to a barely conversational degree, and given brexit, the right to work in a German speaking country is not a given.

I sure as hell am not ever going to live in the (no offence) right-wing dystopia of the USA.

That leaves me with what? Canada or Australia? Both far away, with equally “bad” salaries and far away from my roots?

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#19

Post by dkdbejwi383 » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 8:56 PM UTC

walshemj wrote: post #3

Not surprised there are nicer bits of London to set up in - not surprised the Googles moved to Kings Cross now its gentrified. Before it was Silicon Roundabout BT had a couple of big offices that I used to go to occasionally and the area was a real dump back then. Ironically in 95 or so I was up for a board (promotion) at 207 old street and was extoling all the cool things I was doing with the www and internet - unfo…

Kings Cross is a bizarre no man’s land where it’s hyper gentrified in some ways but also a shitty void with fuck all going on. Bizarre place that experienced 30 years worth of development in 5.

Re: The last days of Silicon Roundabout

#20

Post by klelatti » Tue, Sep 21, 2021, 9:00 PM UTC

lostdog wrote: post #17

Everything I read on the internet suggests that UK tech salaries are extremely low, and that the profession has a low level of respect overall. I have many many foreign or first generation immigrant coworkers, but almost no one British. I'm surprised, because there's no language barrier and a minimal cultural barrier, but still the vast majority of my coworkers are from places that are much harder to immigrate from.…

Not sure about the ‘extremely low salaries’ bit but don’t forget that in London for example finance can pay very well indeed so I suspect that lots of potential tech emigrees end up working in banking.