It is harder, frankly. But the counter-argument that Austinites make is that they don't need as much funding, and prefer to avoid large amounts of investment in

It is harder, frankly. But the counter-argument that Austinites make is that they don't need as much funding, and prefer to avoid large amounts of investment in favor of a more bootstrapped company that is (probably) more stable and a long-term business. It's a stylistic thing. Obviously, some companies require tons of funding, and are best-suited to SF/The Valley.