8 ms·

I feel this way. However, living in the Bay Area carries a certain weight as a systems architect which allows me to charge more for consulting fees and ask for

I feel this way. However, living in the Bay Area carries a certain weight as a systems architect which allows me to charge more for consulting fees and ask for higher raises from my full time employer. Also, most of my professional network is here. I don't see myself leaving any time soon.

rogerkirkness 5y ago
This is funny, because based on engineering interview challenge quality, we found that everywhere else in North America has better comp arbitrage to talent. "Bay Area" means you pay more for the same quality that exists all over.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- reasonabl_human 5y ago
  Interested in learning more about this, if you can point me to the source data somewhere online. Unless you meant your particular company found this in which case I’m guessing you can’t go much further into it.
- DevKoala 5y ago
  I don’t do technical interviews for roles anymore, and I would probably do poorly on the board. However, I have a lot of experience leading engineering teams at startups and I have designed and built the underlying systems for a handful of successful businesses; one of them just grew to over $100M/yr revenue in the past year. The individuals in my professional network value that, and that is how I keep myself employed. I agree with you on being able to find the same quality of talent outside of the Bay Area. When I hire, I don’t even restrict myself to the same timezone. Some of the best people I have worked with live in Europe.
testesttest 5y ago
Much of my professional network moved during covid. I keep an address in the bay area to keep up appearances with clients. I fly into town when nessary. Life is cheaper and better.
- DevKoala 5y ago
  Yeah I have been thinking of doing this. I was thinking of going to Nevada or another state without capital gains to finally start cashing out.
  - testesttest 5y ago
    I didn't do it for tax reasons but for quality of life reasons. Be careful moving to "cash out". Do your research.
  - LurkingPenguin 5y ago
    If you have a non-negligible amount of money on the line, you'll want to leave sooner than later and plan very carefully. California is aggressive in going after people who leave the state, even years later, especially if you have a liquidity event shortly thereafter and/or plan to maintain ties to California. Keeping an address, coming back regularly to meet clients, etc. are all precisely the things the FTB uses to argue that people are still California residents.
    - tharne 5y ago
      You know you're failing politically when you start resorting to punitive measures to keep people from leaving. During the cold war, Ronald Reagan correctly pointed out that one of the clearest indicators the Soviet Union and their allies were in the clutches of a failing ethos, was that they had to build walls to keep their own people in rather than to keep their enemies out.
      - LurkingPenguin 5y ago
        While California absolutely is overzealous in looking at people who leave the state, it's also reality that plenty of people don't really leave or blur the lines to the point where there's a legitimate question as to their residency. If you're going to leave California, leave. Don't keep a California address, tell clients you're based in California, come back all the time to do business, etc.
birdyrooster 5y ago
Seconded, I don’t know a single engineering colleague who has left the Bay Area. I maintain communication with dozens of my current and former colleagues. Maybe I am just in some weird bubble, but I am about as average as they come so I have a hard time believing that.
anothernewdude 5y ago
You demonstrably self-identify as an idiot.

rogerkirkness 5y ago

This is funny, because based on engineering interview challenge quality, we found that everywhere else in North America has better comp arbitrage to talent. "Bay Area" means you pay more for the same quality that exists all over.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
reasonabl_human 5y ago
Interested in learning more about this, if you can point me to the source data somewhere online. Unless you meant your particular company found this in which case I’m guessing you can’t go much further into it.
DevKoala 5y ago
I don’t do technical interviews for roles anymore, and I would probably do poorly on the board. However, I have a lot of experience leading engineering teams at startups and I have designed and built the underlying systems for a handful of successful businesses; one of them just grew to over $100M/yr revenue in the past year. The individuals in my professional network value that, and that is how I keep myself employed. I agree with you on being able to find the same quality of talent outside of the Bay Area. When I hire, I don’t even restrict myself to the same timezone. Some of the best people I have worked with live in Europe.

testesttest 5y ago

Much of my professional network moved during covid. I keep an address in the bay area to keep up appearances with clients. I fly into town when nessary. Life is cheaper and better.

DevKoala 5y ago
Yeah I have been thinking of doing this. I was thinking of going to Nevada or another state without capital gains to finally start cashing out.
- testesttest 5y ago
  I didn't do it for tax reasons but for quality of life reasons. Be careful moving to "cash out". Do your research.
- LurkingPenguin 5y ago
  If you have a non-negligible amount of money on the line, you'll want to leave sooner than later and plan very carefully. California is aggressive in going after people who leave the state, even years later, especially if you have a liquidity event shortly thereafter and/or plan to maintain ties to California. Keeping an address, coming back regularly to meet clients, etc. are all precisely the things the FTB uses to argue that people are still California residents.
  - tharne 5y ago
    You know you're failing politically when you start resorting to punitive measures to keep people from leaving. During the cold war, Ronald Reagan correctly pointed out that one of the clearest indicators the Soviet Union and their allies were in the clutches of a failing ethos, was that they had to build walls to keep their own people in rather than to keep their enemies out.
    - LurkingPenguin 5y ago
      While California absolutely is overzealous in looking at people who leave the state, it's also reality that plenty of people don't really leave or blur the lines to the point where there's a legitimate question as to their residency. If you're going to leave California, leave. Don't keep a California address, tell clients you're based in California, come back all the time to do business, etc.

birdyrooster 5y ago

Seconded, I don’t know a single engineering colleague who has left the Bay Area. I maintain communication with dozens of my current and former colleagues. Maybe I am just in some weird bubble, but I am about as average as they come so I have a hard time believing that.

anothernewdude 5y ago

You demonstrably self-identify as an idiot.