You're absolutely right! It could be anywhere in the world! Talented people can easily move anywhere! Startups can be successful in San Antonio, Phoenix, or Ith

You're absolutely right! It could be anywhere in the world! Talented people can easily move anywhere! Startups can be successful in San Antonio, Phoenix, or Ithaca! So why do so many smart people insist on concentrating themselves so? Is it possible that perhaps there may be reasons for people to choose such an obviously irrational thing? What do they think they're getting out of it? Many companies have found that they benefit significantly from physically proximate workers. There are distinct benefits to putting people in offices in person. On top of that, having many such companies in one place is beneficial to the specialist worker. It mitigates risks of unemployment, and enables workers to take greater risks. Myself, I've done what you suggest. I took a job in a cheap place. It was great in some ways, and terrible in others. When I decided I was done with the job, I had to leave that city. There just weren't many options for me there. I understand why a businessperson would like it - you get more leverage over cheaper employees - but it's not the best choice for me.