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The reality here is VCs, billionaires, and CEOs are busy talking their book (what is their largest expense? Often, salaries. What does skilled immigration ser
by x0x0 11y ago
The reality here is VCs, billionaires, and CEOs are busy talking their book (what is their largest expense? Often, salaries. What does skilled immigration serve to reduce? Salaries. Say it isn't so!) But they're in danger of losing control of the narrative.
Secondly, they want to claim, particularly to government, that the tech industry as a whole needs more immigration and more government funded education. ie they speak for us, rather than for themselves, and a small group of owners and the rich.
They certainly well understand if they pay more they'll be able to hire nearly anyone they choose or want. They just don't wish to do so. By their fruit you will recognize them. I suggest that, as a working engineer, we refrain from taking advice on what's best for us from many of same people (or their paid advocates) who were recently involved in a conspiracy to reduce our wages.
Where's the massive runup in engineering salaries that would accompany an actually tight labor market? Have you, or any of your peers, recently gotten, say, a $10k or greater per annum raise? Without switching employers? Have your wages kept pace with the runup in housing costs in the bay area? It's finally percolating through the collective consciousness that working at startups as an employee often isn't a particularly good deal. See eg Tikhon [1].
But, you know, employees advocating for themselves instead of their bosses; that's class consciousness and socialism and all sorts of evil. To the fainting couch!
[1] https://medium.com/@tikhon/founders-it-s-not-1990-stop-treating-your-employees-like-it-is-523f48fe90cb https://medium.com/@tikhon/founders-it-s-not-1990-stop-treat...