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I've seen this play out with several companies over the last 20 years. Company starts to push employees to work remote from anywhere. It sounds great and it is

by jjav 6y ago

I've seen this play out with several companies over the last 20 years. Company starts to push employees to work remote from anywhere. It sounds great and it is great for as long as you keep and enjoy that same job. Once you move into the boonies, company knows they have leverage on you. You can no longer ragequit on Thursday and start at a new place with a better salary next Monday. You'll be forced to hold on to this job even if it turns sour. Or what if there are layoffs. Then you're stuck in the boonies with no other employment choices other than compete for other remote jobs at a much reduced salary now. Moving back to the Bay Area is very difficult if you sold the house when moving out. TL;DR: Only move for personal reasons, not for company incentives.

juniper_strong 6y ago
This is a false dichotomy. There are hundreds of millions of Americans that live in places that are neither the Bay Area nor the boonies. In any of the 50 biggest metro areas in the US, there are employment choices for programmers.
- jjav 6y ago
  You're right, of course. What went unsaid is that with these offers the strong temptation is to move out to areas where you truly want to live, not to just another slightly cheaper large metro area with jobs. Everyone I know who took these moves went to places like a large farm out nowhere, or a cabin deep in the forest, or to a small village in the mountains or on a faraway beach. Places which defined paradise to each individual, with wonderful quality of life (but no jobs). Personally I was very strongly tempted to move to Kona (Hawaii) keeping my full silicon valley salary. Not exactly a hotbed of replacement tech jobs though, so I guess I'm glad I didn't.
  - juniper_strong 6y ago
    OK, I see what you're saying, thanks for the clarification. I guess there is a tendency to overreact and think, "I want the exact opposite of the Bay Area", when what you really want is cheaper rent and a tad less shit on the sidewalk.

by jjav 6y ago

juniper_strong 6y ago

This is a false dichotomy. There are hundreds of millions of Americans that live in places that are neither the Bay Area nor the boonies. In any of the 50 biggest metro areas in the US, there are employment choices for programmers.

jjav 6y ago
You're right, of course. What went unsaid is that with these offers the strong temptation is to move out to areas where you truly want to live, not to just another slightly cheaper large metro area with jobs. Everyone I know who took these moves went to places like a large farm out nowhere, or a cabin deep in the forest, or to a small village in the mountains or on a faraway beach. Places which defined paradise to each individual, with wonderful quality of life (but no jobs). Personally I was very strongly tempted to move to Kona (Hawaii) keeping my full silicon valley salary. Not exactly a hotbed of replacement tech jobs though, so I guess I'm glad I didn't.
- juniper_strong 6y ago
  OK, I see what you're saying, thanks for the clarification. I guess there is a tendency to overreact and think, "I want the exact opposite of the Bay Area", when what you really want is cheaper rent and a tad less shit on the sidewalk.