This. I'm from Argentina, what worked for me was to start a blog about the problems I was solving back then for my current job, worked in opensource stuff, responded questions for an opensource tool in a forum (there was no stackoverflow back then) and somehow built a "personal brand" for some niche technologies. It all happened like 10 years ago in the span of 3 months. I got my first remote job offer for an small software firm in Europe because they read a blogpost I wrote about solving a problem they had. I've worked since then for 3 different companies from Europe and the US.

I wasn't looking for a remote job to be honest, but it happened. I honestly didn't know I could work for a company remotely back then, I was very young and had not idea about the paperwork, transactions, etc.

There are a lot of players in this, some are just looking for cheap labor, but there are also companies that understand that talent is everywhere and they are looking for that.

Certainly more than an entire country.

Yet, you can receive offers from the whole world.

How is this any different than a job at Big Tech in SF or NYC?

Because there, you're _only_ competing with local SF/NYC applicants, within like 1h drive radius or whatever.

Everyone I know who lives in SF moved there when they got offered a job there.

SF and NYC attract the top talent from around the world.

Not all of it, just the top talent that doesn't mind the living conditions in SF and NYC

Exactly, not all talent is prepared to up and move country. Age and family all factor into it.