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Well, they could begin the real work needed to improve Austin.

tourmalinetaco 3y ago
Like they “improved” California, the very state they ran away from?
stakhanov 3y ago
That's what struck me too about the article: tens of thousands of newly arrived tech workers complaining about the lack of a tech scene and moving. They're treating "scene" as something that should just be there for them to consume, rather than something that they could potentially create. They might look at each other and say "Hey, we are the tech scene, all it takes is some socializing."
- emodendroket 3y ago
  So you propose they all start businesses in the place they've realized has a much weaker tech scene than they imagined when they came with no intention of doing that? Moving seems smarter.
  - stakhanov 3y ago
    Being the first in the world to offer up some product or service you've come up with is not the only path to entrepreneurship. In fact, on a risk-adjusted expected-value basis, it may not even be a particularly smart way of going about getting there. An alternative is to take something that has been tried and tested elsewhere that's not easy to move from place to place, and just go to a place where there's high potential demand and not yet any supply, and offer it there. The picture in my mind is: There's this guy dreaming about becoming a billionaire by setting up "tinder for pets", but now he can't do that. His problems are: There are no high-profile speakers at local tech conferences, internet connections at cafes suck, and grocery stores do not carry his favourite caffeinated beverage. So, why not do that? Invite some high-profile speakers to local tech conferences. Partner with local cafes to provide better internet. Set up a distribution channel for a caffeinated beverage. If that's the situation he's in, there's a pretty good chance that any of that is probably a more useful thing to do than "tinder for pets". Mass migrations are ripe with economic opportunity, it's just a different kind of economic opportunity.
    - emodendroket 3y ago
      I think most of these people are interested in being tech workers and not tech entrepreneurs.
      - ddingus 3y ago
        Maybe they have friends? The current dilemma does present an economic opportunity. They should, or their friends should get hold of Rogan and Hinkcliff, both of whom are promoting Austin aggressively. There is a good living there for some peeps.
Zetobal 3y ago
No one wants to improve Austin because the only reason they come to Austin is that they don't need to pay taxes. That's why Rogan and all the twitch streameres are there do you believe it's because of their love of the city? They are out of there if they gets a bigger tax break somewhere else. They are parasites.
- friend_and_foe 3y ago
  There are lots of places that have low taxes. Alaska has no taxes. Montana, Wyoming, both very very low tax states. Beautiful too.
  - Zetobal 3y ago
    [dead]
AnimalMuppet 3y ago
The problems of Austin are hard. The problems of SF are impossible. (Or so it feels to me, an outsider to both places.) But I think these people weren't trying to move to a place where the problems were at least solvable. They were trying to move to a place without problems. That isn't Austin (or anywhere, really). Not finding what they were looking for, they bailed.

Like they “improved” California, the very state they ran away from?

That's what struck me too about the article: tens of thousands of newly arrived tech workers complaining about the lack of a tech scene and moving. They're treating "scene" as something that should just be there for them to consume, rather than something that they could potentially create. They might look at each other and say "Hey, we are the tech scene, all it takes is some socializing."

emodendroket 3y ago
So you propose they all start businesses in the place they've realized has a much weaker tech scene than they imagined when they came with no intention of doing that? Moving seems smarter.
- stakhanov 3y ago
  Being the first in the world to offer up some product or service you've come up with is not the only path to entrepreneurship. In fact, on a risk-adjusted expected-value basis, it may not even be a particularly smart way of going about getting there. An alternative is to take something that has been tried and tested elsewhere that's not easy to move from place to place, and just go to a place where there's high potential demand and not yet any supply, and offer it there. The picture in my mind is: There's this guy dreaming about becoming a billionaire by setting up "tinder for pets", but now he can't do that. His problems are: There are no high-profile speakers at local tech conferences, internet connections at cafes suck, and grocery stores do not carry his favourite caffeinated beverage. So, why not do that? Invite some high-profile speakers to local tech conferences. Partner with local cafes to provide better internet. Set up a distribution channel for a caffeinated beverage. If that's the situation he's in, there's a pretty good chance that any of that is probably a more useful thing to do than "tinder for pets". Mass migrations are ripe with economic opportunity, it's just a different kind of economic opportunity.
  - emodendroket 3y ago
    I think most of these people are interested in being tech workers and not tech entrepreneurs.
    - ddingus 3y ago
      Maybe they have friends? The current dilemma does present an economic opportunity. They should, or their friends should get hold of Rogan and Hinkcliff, both of whom are promoting Austin aggressively. There is a good living there for some peeps.

Zetobal 3y ago

No one wants to improve Austin because the only reason they come to Austin is that they don't need to pay taxes. That's why Rogan and all the twitch streameres are there do you believe it's because of their love of the city? They are out of there if they gets a bigger tax break somewhere else. They are parasites.

friend_and_foe 3y ago
There are lots of places that have low taxes. Alaska has no taxes. Montana, Wyoming, both very very low tax states. Beautiful too.
- Zetobal 3y ago
  [dead]

AnimalMuppet 3y ago

The problems of Austin are hard. The problems of SF are impossible. (Or so it feels to me, an outsider to both places.) But I think these people weren't trying to move to a place where the problems were at least solvable. They were trying to move to a place without problems. That isn't Austin (or anywhere, really). Not finding what they were looking for, they bailed.