No you're not. The tech companies in Austin are divided in two groups: Bay Area/Boston companies that pay Bay Area/Boston salaries, and Bay Area/Boston companies that pay Texas salaries. One attracts talent that sticks around, the other attracts fresh grads who leave once they realize how much more they're worth.

I think that's a symptom of the problem, but the real problem is that startups are using some stupid, non-relevant scheme to determine "fair" compensation, rather than being aggressive about getting the talent they need.