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Everyone here blaming the costs of living in London being a major driver for people looking for security: SF is not cheap either! I don’t think you can boil it

by baxtr 2y ago

Everyone here blaming the costs of living in London being a major driver for people looking for security: SF is not cheap either! I don’t think you can boil it down to that only. What can be others fundamental reasons? also for Europe in general?

oblio 2y ago
Smaller countries, less money to throw around in general. Focus on more traditional sectors and a general fear of software solutions (partially justified since many software things are net negative). First mover advantage for the US as the country that invented the transistor, the social media, internet, etc. Especially in this era of Extremistans (see: Black Swan), being first is super important. Oh, and this isn't talked about enough, US protectionism (and focus on locally produced things), look at all the efforts to keep jobs in the US, to keep Chinese companies out, etc. As an example, even when Apple was crap in the late 90s and early 00s, it still had relatively high percentages of the desktop/laptop market compared to the rest of the world, just because it was the poster-boy of US computer companies. It's more subtle and it's imperfect (see the steel and auto industry being overrun by foreign companies). It's very complicated, but 1 & 2 are probably the biggest factors.
foldr 2y ago
>Everyone here blaming the costs of living in London being a major driver for people looking for security: SF is not cheap either! I think startup salaries in SF are higher compared to the cost of living, though. There are startups in London that pay £50k or less to new graduates.
- baxtr 2y ago
  Ok but then it’s startup founder/employee compensation rather than cost of living
  - foldr 2y ago
    Yes, although it's the US that's the outlier when it comes to compensating engineers. There aren't many other countries where junior engineers can get paid a lot more than other people in professional occupations.
candiodari 2y ago
Except normal Californian wages are 50% of a central SF apartment. Saving up to move there is very much an option. Normal LONDON salaries are 30% of a London apartment. Normal British salaries are 10% of a central London apartment, at best. There's a big difference. You can save up as a USian and start a job in SF. You cannot reasonably do the same in Britain.

by baxtr 2y ago

oblio 2y ago

Smaller countries, less money to throw around in general. Focus on more traditional sectors and a general fear of software solutions (partially justified since many software things are net negative). First mover advantage for the US as the country that invented the transistor, the social media, internet, etc. Especially in this era of Extremistans (see: Black Swan), being first is super important. Oh, and this isn't talked about enough, US protectionism (and focus on locally produced things), look at all the efforts to keep jobs in the US, to keep Chinese companies out, etc. As an example, even when Apple was crap in the late 90s and early 00s, it still had relatively high percentages of the desktop/laptop market compared to the rest of the world, just because it was the poster-boy of US computer companies. It's more subtle and it's imperfect (see the steel and auto industry being overrun by foreign companies). It's very complicated, but 1 & 2 are probably the biggest factors.

foldr 2y ago

>Everyone here blaming the costs of living in London being a major driver for people looking for security: SF is not cheap either! I think startup salaries in SF are higher compared to the cost of living, though. There are startups in London that pay £50k or less to new graduates.

baxtr 2y ago
Ok but then it’s startup founder/employee compensation rather than cost of living
- foldr 2y ago
  Yes, although it's the US that's the outlier when it comes to compensating engineers. There aren't many other countries where junior engineers can get paid a lot more than other people in professional occupations.

candiodari 2y ago

Except normal Californian wages are 50% of a central SF apartment. Saving up to move there is very much an option. Normal LONDON salaries are 30% of a London apartment. Normal British salaries are 10% of a central London apartment, at best. There's a big difference. You can save up as a USian and start a job in SF. You cannot reasonably do the same in Britain.