Why not? It seems like your claim is based on one of two assumptions, neither of which I find particularly compelling: a) any startup hiring in SF and NYC will

Why not? It seems like your claim is based on one of two assumptions, neither of which I find particularly compelling: a) any startup hiring in SF and NYC will go bankrupt b) the devs you hire outside of SF and NYC for the same HCoL salaries are not worth the pay, and over time will cause business failure or is there another option?