If you become a remote company, this problem is solved. There's a HUGE pool of talent working remotely. Don't isolate your options to one narrow locale.
Good point. But I enjoy working with people in person, having stand-ups, etc. While I could see maybe 50-75% of the team working remotely, I would still want to have some local team members. I guess there is one way to find out: post some jobs and see if anyone bites.
What part of that is important to the business and others?
I don't see highly skilled personnel being all that keen on moving to Mexico. Canada, however, already has a few areas that seem primed to attract new talent, particularly to cities like Vancouver. Edit: I suppose Vancouver wasn't actually a great example. I just really like that area.
Vancouver has the high COL of the Bay Area with significantly lower wages. I don't see it becoming a major player.
I live in Vancouver, can confirm. Maybe after a significant liquidity event or two pumps some capital into the local ecosystem, but at present there are few (if any) world class tech companies here and despite the incredibly high and fast rising cost of living, wages are actually the lowest of any major Canadian city. Sure its a desirable place to live, but few world class talents are going to relocate here to work for second or third tier companies, for 50% less than they'd make in other markets, when a 30% more of their salary will be going to housing costs. Vancouver is a real-estate city, not a tech city and likely always will be.
I don't see highly skilled personnel being all that keen on moving to Mexico. Canada, however, already has a few areas that seem primed to attract new talent, particularly to cities like Vancouver. Edit: I suppose Vancouver wasn't actually a great example. I just really like that area.
Not to mention that these "highly skilled people" being referred to in the article don't really exist or aren't really affected by the H1B Visa issue. We're talking hordes of JS devs working for Infosys for relatively poor pay and the like. Not PHDs or whatever. Canada, like anywhere in the West, is certainly an attractive place for people, so long as you land a good gig. Forget Vancouver. Montreal and Toronto are wh…
I don't see highly skilled personnel being all that keen on moving to Mexico. Canada, however, already has a few areas that seem primed to attract new talent, particularly to cities like Vancouver. Edit: I suppose Vancouver wasn't actually a great example. I just really like that area.
Vancouver has the high COL of the Bay Area with significantly lower wages. I don't see it becoming a major player.
Also it is in Canada. A huge draw of the Bay Area is its excellent weather. A huge detriment to living in Canada is its horrible weather.
I have thought about moving to South America and opening a startup there. I just don't know that there is sufficient talent to build up a team. We can't even fill our open positions in Southern California. I am curious, how many engineers from Silicon Valley would be interested in moving to South America? Mexico? Has anyone taken a poll?
I think it would be tough to get people to move to South America or Mexico for a job like that because of the uncertainty around the position. If I move to NY for a job and the company folds or I get fired, I can crash on someone's couch for a couple weeks while I get a new job. I can't do that in Argentina, and I have no idea if I could get another job there in the first place.
Vancouver has the high COL of the Bay Area with significantly lower wages. I don't see it becoming a major player.
Also it is in Canada. A huge draw of the Bay Area is its excellent weather. A huge detriment to living in Canada is its horrible weather.
Vancouver has pretty nice, mild weather. Summers in the 70s, winters in the 40s and 50s. Great for outdoors stuff that is nearby. It does drizzle quite a bit, but then so does Seattle, which attracts tech companies & workers just fine.
Visa availability is not the magic ingredient to replicate Sillicon Valley. High wages and high concentration of talent are. What would entice an Indian or Eastern European developer to move to Mexico?
Beaches and a relaxed pace of life, not unlike that of the Balearic coast instead of aggressive dog eat dog of SV culture?
It is different but some people might like the more relaxed atmos.
Good point. But I enjoy working with people in person, having stand-ups, etc. While I could see maybe 50-75% of the team working remotely, I would still want to have some local team members. I guess there is one way to find out: post some jobs and see if anyone bites.
What part of that is important to the business and others?
A startup is an organization in search of a business. As such, frequently collaboration needs to be done in person. Actual businesses have an easier time with remote workers.
Visa availability is not the magic ingredient to replicate Sillicon Valley. High wages and high concentration of talent are. What would entice an Indian or Eastern European developer to move to Mexico?
Beaches and a relaxed pace of life, not unlike that of the Balearic coast instead of aggressive dog eat dog of SV culture? It is different but some people might like the more relaxed atmos.
Interestingly, beaches are inversely correlated with economic activity.
What part of that is important to the business and others?
A startup is an organization in search of a business. As such, frequently collaboration needs to be done in person. Actual businesses have an easier time with remote workers.
This. Collaboration is key for a startup and that's best done in person.