If you don't save any money as a developer, even outside SV, you're doing something wrong. At least if we're talking the US or Europe. You might not be as high

If you don't save any money as a developer, even outside SV, you're doing something wrong. At least if we're talking the US or Europe. You might not be as highly paid, but pretty much anyone should be able to save 20-30% of their salary. Which is enough to start a company as a developer after 2 years, because all you need is a laptop, an internet connection, a suit and maybe some dev tools and some money to live without a salary for a bit. That doesn't mean that starting a company is easy, or that your idea is great, or that the time investment can be combined with say, having a family.