3 ms·
> I'm working for a San Francisco YC alum tech company but living in one of the most affordable places in the US. > It's beautiful out here and I wish more tec
by AFNobody 8y ago
> I'm working for a San Francisco YC alum tech company but living in one of the most affordable places in the US.
> It's beautiful out here and I wish more tech workers would consider the Midwest when they decide to leave the Bay Area.
I think you are confused to the core issue. Your situation is relatively difficult to sustain long term and I know of only 1 person (out of 20+) that tried it that have succeeded for 10+ years.
It is a bit anecdotal but, to me, it is pretty clear that the issue isn't "consideration" but "Remote work is genuinely offshored to cheaper IT resources in India/China/etc". Those of us who want US-level salaries find it extremely difficult to sustain a remote work situation indefinitely, particularly as they age into the 40s and 50s.
If I could be certain I'd hold down a job that pays 40% of what I make now, indefinitely, I'd have left the "Big City" 10+ years ago.
The truth is for "average" developers as we age, we get trapped between being "too expensive" (people start trying to negotiate you down except when the economy is at full employment) and the financial obligations a family represents.
To be honest, it is a large part of why LeanFIRE and FIRE communities are so popular with tech folks. Many of us want _out_ but the financial risks involved aren't practical unless we are wealthy enough to be effectively retired in a LCOL location. I doubt many (if any) of such people plan to actually stop writing code.
You should probably also keep in mind that "small town" Kansas (50k+, but not a major city) is not the same thing as "rural" Kansas (where there isn't 50k people in the county spread over a much larger land area than Manhattan, KS).
- caseysoftware 8y agoIt depends on the team and the role. From Austin, I joined Twilio (employee #25ish) as the first developer evangelist not on a coast. Now I'm with Okta on the Product Team (almost 2 years) running the technical side of our API offerings. There hasn't been a local office for either during that entire time. Demonstrate that you bring unique value to get your foot in the door, deliver on that value to stay in the game. If you're just starting your career, it's going to be tough at best but if you have a track record and find the right team, it's possible.
- AFNobody 8y agoDo you realize Austin isn't a small town? And that the experience you are expressing is in no way relevant to what I said or the person I responded too? Your career in Austin is the exact opposite of what I want. It is the very definition of a "big city" career.
- TheCoelacanth 8y agoYes, even though they are working remotely now, they still have a lot of bargaining power given to them by virtue of the many local opportunities available to them. Also, being near a lot of developers can't have hurt their chances of getting a job as a developer evangelist.
- AFNobody 8y agoYup and the fallback position of taking a local job if they can't find remote work w/o relocating which (honestly) was the original issue I was bringing up. It isn't finding 1 remote job that lets you work from a rural area that is the issue. It is finding 20 years worth of such jobs.
- chrissnell 8y agoI've been working remote for over ten years now and I've never had a hard time finding work. I've never had to work for a subpar salary because of my reduced cost-of-living. Being experienced helps but ultimately it's about delivering results.
- AFNobody 8y agoAh yes the "well you must not be good enough" response when someone points out the average person is average. Usually followed by crabs in a bucket or pessimists or whatever. "I can do it so the majority can" is rarely true. Even when it comes to skills I would consider as basic as handling finances intelligently or cooking a decent meal or acknowledging one's limitations. Be careful about assuming you are exceptional because most people aren't.