> your comment applies to you and possibly the company you work for Very true. As always, your mileage my vary. > Companies foster career development less and

> your comment applies to you and possibly the company you work for Very true. As always, your mileage my vary. > Companies foster career development less and less, and employees recognize this more and more. Yes -- which is why we care about career development; it's something we view strategically. And yes, while some job functions are being commoditized, people are not. This is true across the industry, whether other companies choose to believe it or not. We take that seriously and make a commitment to those who work with us. > this industry is actually much larger than you suggest, and I think your "2-3 degrees" claim is a bit extraordinary. There is far more software development going on outside the tech hubs than I think people in these hubs appreciate, and in many ways under the radar of the like who frequent HN. When we recruit, we do so on a broad level and will look where others don't as a way to get a leg up on our competition. As a result, our staff works out of multiple locations nationally, as well as Canada and the EU. I have colleagues in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis, Nashville, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Kansas City -- that's off the top of my head. My network is sizable. The point of my comment is this: don't assume that if you reach out to me, I won't have any connection to your background through mutual relationships. I can't speak for others, but I doubt I'm so unique in this respect.