As someone currently in DC, I think you might've moved from the worst place in the whole country for that comparison. DC is completely packed with wannabes, esp

As someone currently in DC, I think you might've moved from the worst place in the whole country for that comparison. DC is completely packed with wannabes, especially when it comes to anything tech-related. The problem isn't so much relatively little tech knowledge, but a huge disconnect between how much tech knowledge people claim versus actually have. The entire culture, at least among white-collar affluent people, is built around faking it for consulting/contracting/lobbying money. The place is full of hustlers starting fake "AI" and "blockchain" conferences. Almost any randomly chosen city in the U.S. would get you a better signal to noise ratio. I was more impressed with Houston, for example. It doesn't necessarily have any more technically competent people in absolute terms (there are actually a good number of solid companies in the DC area with knowledgeable people), but Houston doesn't have the same level of tech-bullshitting scene, so it's easier to sift through the noise.