As an outsider, it seems there are many cities with a variety of opportunities. Maybe even some remote opportunities too. Even cities with terrible tech markets (Philly) have some opportunities. It sounds like other areas of CA, WA, NY, VA, and TX have great opportunities, with several other states having some decent ones.
Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
51–60 of 87 posts
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
And this blown up to the scale of an entire country is why Canada is suffering so much today. On every metric of measurement they are going down because the ability to take risks is simply missing in the country.
> because the ability to take risks is simply missing in the country. Never heard of this before, interesting! Can you direct me to some sources or YouTube video about this? I'd love to learn more.
Not OP but I'm a Canadian who follows the news so I'll pitch in. Canada is suffering a few things right now. Definitely a housing crisis, which seems to be everywhere in the Anglosphere but I'm pretty sure we have it the worst.
Couple charts. Disposable income vs house costs, USA then Canada. https://www.reddit.com/r/canadahousing/s/SIRo14xudI
Relatedly, debt to income ratios, Canada vs USA. https://ritholtz.com/2013/10/household-debt-to-income-ratio-...
So Canadians like to spend too much for housing, live credit and thus don't invest. Why do they do that and does that matter? Well, we do that mainly because house appreciation isn't taxed as income (risk aversion in action) and it does matter because it crowds out investment in things businesses use to make money.
WSJ has argued that this is the second leg of the crisis: we can't earn our way out of it, because our productivity is poorer than the USA, at 71%. https://www.wsj.com/articles/canadas-poor-productivity-has-r...
Thirdly, Canada is cold and as a result we need a lot of energy to exist. Are energy prices declining? https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/energy-consumpt...
Forthly, I'm sure you're aware that the USA is deeply in debt and that the higher interest rates to combat inflation are pinching the ability of governments to operate. What you may not be aware of is that our Central Bank does whatever the Federal Reserve does in terms of rates about 70% of the time. If they did something different, bond traders would likely be able to destroy our currency. So we are trapped right now, hoping inflation ends real soon.
Lastly, to paraphrase a Mexican saying:Canada is far from God and too close to the United States. Our best and brightest leave to make 30% more in America, where the language and culture is very similar. We have been watching American television our entire lives. We don't have a market of 350 million people to sell to, and out government protected oligopolies are not able to compete in the USA. Our banks are making a push, but that's likely to be regional In America and not national.
This sums up the business climate. https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1013522
Personally, I've also noticed that because there are basically 4 companies to work for in any vertical, and there are fewer tier 1 cities to work in in Canada, middle management here is mostly concerned about avoiding mistakes rather than competing and excellence.
But I don't really know America, it seems like it's a hyper competitive place where you don't get to take your vacation time, and heaven help you if you really need a doctor and you are poor. Every country sucks in its own way.
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
Moving to the Bay Area was the best thing I've ever done for myself financially. The network of companies, developers, and investors/advisers (in good times) is unparalleled and enough to make you a career if you can hack it, and give you the exposure to people to mentor you and teach you how to hack it. Moving away from the Bay Area was the second best thing I've ever done for myself financially, because once you ha…
“ that dystopian hellhole where the only positive quality of life is the weather.” Eesh that’s laying in on thick. SF is clearly not your cup of tea but no need for this type of hyperbole. I happen to enjoy the Bay Area, and S.F. in particular. People have different things they are interested in. You wouldn’t want me to hyperbolically rant on about how many other areas of the country are concrete mcdonaldified wastel…
I mean the point was to be hyperbolic, but "concrete mcdonaldified" is just a notch below the SFBA. There's a kind of northern Californian exceptionalism that reeks of people who have never traveled to the other 49 states. Or even within California.
I've lived in a number of different places in the country and the Bay Area is hands down the worst, and it always baffled me how many people that lived there thought it was the peak of American living. I'm sorry that most places you don't need to worry about stepping over needles and human excrement in the streets. But there are some pretty mountains that catch on fire only every couple of years, so I guess it's alright?
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#54I lived for 30 years in the Bay Area. Lots of job and consulting opportunities. Fabulous people. Tons of culture and funky places. I grew lots of roses and a few veggies even in my small lots. Way multicultural. My daughter learned hula, and is revisiting that as a grownup. Attend universities or work at one. I did, and met Nobel Prize winners. Plenty to see. The ocean is gorgeous and close by.
Moved away, and now deer eat everything nonmetallic, 110 degree summers and at times, a couple of feet of snow. 12 miles to downtown and 50 miles to an Indian or Thai restaurant, Whole Foods, and the VA medical facility.
Would love to move back and reinvent the enshittified web. Will gladly leave the snow shovel, chainsaws and bear spray behind.
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
And this blown up to the scale of an entire country is why Canada is suffering so much today. On every metric of measurement they are going down because the ability to take risks is simply missing in the country.
> because the ability to take risks is simply missing in the country. Never heard of this before, interesting! Can you direct me to some sources or YouTube video about this? I'd love to learn more.
There is a book about it called Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson.
Don’t know what Molson is? Well, the book argues that you would and should, but for our risk averse culture.
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's also because the many Canadian risk-takers moved to the Bay Area for the concentration of talent and high pay. It's easy to fly down with $50 and an offer letter to work anywhere you want for 3 years (indefinitely renewable) as a software engineer on TN status. Then you can take all the time you need to win the H-1B lottery, or just petition I-485 directly off TN (additional risks apply petitioning directly from…
Canadians and democrats belong in Toronto. TN should never have been opened to software engineers. Software can be done remotely from anywhere.
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Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#57Possibly unpopular opinion: there was always plenty of room for individuals to have a fulfilling tech career outside of the Bay Area, and those opportunities have if anything grown in recent years. Bay Area folks always talk like all the opportunities are concentrated there but that's never really been true and will just be less and less true as VC money dries up. I'm sure some of it depends on what you're trying to…
I've had to move for my wife's job a bunch. I've had a very good career, entirely outside of the Bay Area. That being said, I essentially have no connections or network in the Bay Area. I've worked for companies where most of my peers are not in the Bay Area. This puts me at a huge disadvantage for continuing to level my career. I'm largely subject to the whims of remote. While COVID dramatically increased the number…
Who else did a doubletake when reading this post
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#58Possibly unpopular opinion: there was always plenty of room for individuals to have a fulfilling tech career outside of the Bay Area, and those opportunities have if anything grown in recent years. Bay Area folks always talk like all the opportunities are concentrated there but that's never really been true and will just be less and less true as VC money dries up. I'm sure some of it depends on what you're trying to…
No one has ever said that 100% of software engineers need to be in the Bay Area. Yes there are plenty of people living elsewhere who have had fulfilling careers in the industry. Yet it is undeniable that – just like being an actor in LA or an investment banker in New York – your opportunities for job search, networking, career growth etc. are significantly higher by being where the ecosystem is concentrated.
The problem is there's also alot of competition ... if your'e not in say, the top 5% then the Bay Area can be a real wash ... you really need to be making $150k+ in order for it to be worth it in general, or have some other reason to be there (e.g. family)
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
> because the ability to take risks is simply missing in the country. Never heard of this before, interesting! Can you direct me to some sources or YouTube video about this? I'd love to learn more.
Not OP but I'm a Canadian who follows the news so I'll pitch in. Canada is suffering a few things right now. Definitely a housing crisis, which seems to be everywhere in the Anglosphere but I'm pretty sure we have it the worst. Couple charts. Disposable income vs house costs, USA then Canada. https://www.reddit.com/r/canadahousing/s/SIRo14xudI Relatedly, debt to income ratios, Canada vs USA. https://ritholtz.com/2013…
> This sums up the business climate. https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1013522
Also the consumer climate really. As despite all the regulatory barriers, Wind got through in the end.
And nobody was interested. Consumers didn’t flock to the product.
Re: Ask HN: Does it still matter to be in the Bay Area?
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