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Coders in LA might not join startups to the same extent they do in SF, but you can't get to 'scared' from that. I've talked to a number of developers here in N

Coders in LA might not join startups to the same extent they do in SF, but you can't get to 'scared' from that. I've talked to a number of developers here in NYC, primarily in the finance industry, who have no interest in joining a startup. It's not because they're scared - they simply aren't interested. Perhaps developers in LA are the same way. Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, and that's absolutely fine.

drgath 15y ago
Having lived in both LA & SF, and been involved with the dev communities in each, I'd agree with you. The original article just assumes that the goal of every developer is to work for a startup. You move to SF/SV to work for either a startup or one of the web giants. That's our dream. It's our Hollywood. Those are the types of people you want working on startups. Developers who don't have this mindset are much more likely to just be cozy with their well-paying 9-5 gigs working for one of the many media/entertainment companies in LA. There's nothing wrong with that, it's good that they have priorities in life other than work. Those aren't the types that you want running your startup though, and they aren't the people who are attracted to the startup-life. It's not that they are scared, it just isn't appealing.
geebee 15y ago
Another factor could be that the presence of the entertainment industry means there's another huge, highly entrepreneurial game in town. I remember Kathy Sierra's post about the "hollywood model", where you always get fired at the end of a project because that's what happens when a project ends. Your job security is 100% a function of your reputation and body of work. While successful and creative software companies don't (necessarily) "end" the same way a film or album might, I have noticed a similar pattern among a lot of the creative workers in the bay area startup scene. I wouldn't call it "job hopping", since these folks typically stick around long enough to see the project through, but they won't stick around to maintain a project either. They will leave to find something in a more creative growth phase. The film industry does provide for this kind of career (including in high tech)... and actually, it's pretty difficult to get "credit" for your work as a programmer (I suspect that this frustration alone contributed substantially to the rise of open source projects), whereas if you work on the tech side of a film in a meaningful role, your name will appear in the credits.

drgath 15y ago

Having lived in both LA & SF, and been involved with the dev communities in each, I'd agree with you. The original article just assumes that the goal of every developer is to work for a startup. You move to SF/SV to work for either a startup or one of the web giants. That's our dream. It's our Hollywood. Those are the types of people you want working on startups. Developers who don't have this mindset are much more likely to just be cozy with their well-paying 9-5 gigs working for one of the many media/entertainment companies in LA. There's nothing wrong with that, it's good that they have priorities in life other than work. Those aren't the types that you want running your startup though, and they aren't the people who are attracted to the startup-life. It's not that they are scared, it just isn't appealing.

geebee 15y ago

Another factor could be that the presence of the entertainment industry means there's another huge, highly entrepreneurial game in town. I remember Kathy Sierra's post about the "hollywood model", where you always get fired at the end of a project because that's what happens when a project ends. Your job security is 100% a function of your reputation and body of work. While successful and creative software companies don't (necessarily) "end" the same way a film or album might, I have noticed a similar pattern among a lot of the creative workers in the bay area startup scene. I wouldn't call it "job hopping", since these folks typically stick around long enough to see the project through, but they won't stick around to maintain a project either. They will leave to find something in a more creative growth phase. The film industry does provide for this kind of career (including in high tech)... and actually, it's pretty difficult to get "credit" for your work as a programmer (I suspect that this frustration alone contributed substantially to the rise of open source projects), whereas if you work on the tech side of a film in a meaningful role, your name will appear in the credits.