There are certainly exceptions, and I have a lot of respect for successful EU tech companies! But I really dislike rat-races, so I tend to avoid areas with loa

There are certainly exceptions, and I have a lot of respect for successful EU tech companies! But I really dislike rat-races, so I tend to avoid areas with loads of competition. The US tech market is like a bottomless money pool, and it's hard to justify putting a lot of effort into moving somewhere that would tie you to a few well-paying employers. I like working on and learning about things that benefit the people around me! But I also like relaxing and not starving. C'est la vie: it's not perfect.