If I hire a senior Programmer in Bulgaria for $35,000, they can afford the house of their dreams and lead a very good life with holidays to nearby scenic destin

If I hire a senior Programmer in Bulgaria for $35,000, they can afford the house of their dreams and lead a very good life with holidays to nearby scenic destinations. Any excess profits that the company makes translates into a huge bonus for them. They have the chance to work in a growing company and be revered as the top of their society. If that same person moves to the US, they are just a cog in a huge machine, and will be unable to afford to buy a house. Not to mention that getting the visa to go there would be very difficult. Not to mention that when you work for a small corp, you spend all of your time on dubious products changes for the sake of a product manager looking good for an interview panel. In developing markets there is no such 'bullshit', to be frank. The company delivers a good product to the international market or it dies. If you can find a talented Westerner to lead the team and product design, even better. This kind of leanness is exhilarating to work for as long as the company approach, payments and bonuses are transparent.