4 ms·

Or some of the tech companies could be distributed over a larger number of cities. It seems ironic to me that tech companies, of all industries, are placing suc

Or some of the tech companies could be distributed over a larger number of cities. It seems ironic to me that tech companies, of all industries, are placing such a huge premium on physical proximity.

nielsbot 9y ago
Sometimes "good, old fashioned" collaboration is best.
robbyking 9y ago
I'm a longtime Bay Area software engineer, and the problem is it's scary to move to a town that only has a couple tech companies. I'd love to live someplace smaller, but if I find -- and lose -- a job in a small town, I'm out of other options. Here I have recruiters knocking down my door.
- xienze 9y ago
  So move to a town that has a lot more than a couple tech companies like Austin or Raleigh. It’s not all SV and wastelands in this country.
  - pwinnski 9y ago
    I don't live in SV, but I've worked remotely for SV companies, and have spent some time there. I think you're underestimating the gap. I wouldn't call every other city a wasteland, but it can sometimes feel like it's hard not to have a tech job in the Bay Area. It's also possible that people in SV are over-estimating the gap, but I think the reality is closer to the extreme they imagine.
- PopsiclePete 9y ago
  Man, it's not like there's 1000 software companies in the Bay Area and 12 in the rest of the country combined. I have a hard time believing you'd be out of a job for too long in Austin or Denver/Boulder or NYC or DC or Seattle?
  - sidlls 9y ago
    It's not that extreme, but it's quite a difference. The quality just isn't there, either.
  - astura 9y ago
    The price to rent ratio in Manhattan is worse than San Francisco.
  - ashwinaj 9y ago
    As someone who was present in the so called "Silicon hills" (Austin, TX) and "Telecom corridor" (Dallas, TX) it was hard to find a tech job during the 2008 recession. These places look great from the outside (cheap, plenty of space, infrastructure etc.), but the job prospects during a downturn are radically different as compared to the Bay Area (I'm only talking about 2008, not the dotcom bubble).

Or some of the tech companies could be distributed over a larger number of cities. It seems ironic to me that tech companies, of all industries, are placing such a huge premium on physical proximity.

nielsbot 9y ago

Sometimes "good, old fashioned" collaboration is best.

robbyking 9y ago

I'm a longtime Bay Area software engineer, and the problem is it's scary to move to a town that only has a couple tech companies. I'd love to live someplace smaller, but if I find -- and lose -- a job in a small town, I'm out of other options. Here I have recruiters knocking down my door.

xienze 9y ago
So move to a town that has a lot more than a couple tech companies like Austin or Raleigh. It’s not all SV and wastelands in this country.
- pwinnski 9y ago
  I don't live in SV, but I've worked remotely for SV companies, and have spent some time there. I think you're underestimating the gap. I wouldn't call every other city a wasteland, but it can sometimes feel like it's hard not to have a tech job in the Bay Area. It's also possible that people in SV are over-estimating the gap, but I think the reality is closer to the extreme they imagine.
PopsiclePete 9y ago
Man, it's not like there's 1000 software companies in the Bay Area and 12 in the rest of the country combined. I have a hard time believing you'd be out of a job for too long in Austin or Denver/Boulder or NYC or DC or Seattle?
- sidlls 9y ago
  It's not that extreme, but it's quite a difference. The quality just isn't there, either.
- astura 9y ago
  The price to rent ratio in Manhattan is worse than San Francisco.
- ashwinaj 9y ago
  As someone who was present in the so called "Silicon hills" (Austin, TX) and "Telecom corridor" (Dallas, TX) it was hard to find a tech job during the 2008 recession. These places look great from the outside (cheap, plenty of space, infrastructure etc.), but the job prospects during a downturn are radically different as compared to the Bay Area (I'm only talking about 2008, not the dotcom bubble).