> Optimizing for things like cheap rent, etc. is silly. You should aim to make so much ( eventually ) that rent doesn't matter any more

This flies in the face of basic economic theory. If everyone in the bay area "made so much that rent doesn't matter anymore" the rent would go up until it did matter. The reason it doesn't is that quantity demanded goes down as rent goes up precisely because people are price conscious.

what does this have to do with everyone in the bay area? this is hacker news and I am responding to a specific comment by a person that, in the context of the conversation, is in tech industry or is planning to be. "everyone in the bay area" includes your local barista.

downvoters: "If everyone in the bay area "made so much that rent doesn't matter anymore" the rent would go up until it did matter" is a red herring. we are not discussing everyone in the bay area. We are discussing specific types of people that are trying to maximize their career outcomes in the tech industry.

> You should aim to make so much ( eventually ) that rent doesn't matter any more

Unless this is an unrealistic aim, in which case you are throwing your future away on a false hope..

well, aren't we being a little melodramatic? if you get a decent job in the bay area and your rent is high, you aren't really "throwing your future away" even if your career doesn't take off.