"If I wanted to live in Ohio on a farm and work at Google or Facebook or some startup, why should that be a problem?" That's fine depending on the circumstance

"If I wanted to live in Ohio on a farm and work at Google or Facebook or some startup, why should that be a problem?" That's fine depending on the circumstances and what you are doing. But keep in mind that by working in the home office you also would generally make a longer lasting impression in theory and also make more contacts that could come in handy in the future [1]. Also it's easier to fire someone out in the field than it is if they are at the office (where they interact and everybody is generally more aware of "what's up".) Now of course none of this might matter today and with what anybodys job is in particular but it could matter. [1] People who know you by face and personality not just by name or by video chat. It's not the same experience or "connection".