Re:Is It Time for the US to Drag Jobs Out of Silicon Valley ...
by poulsbohemian on Tuesday December 17, 2019 @01:34PM
(#21816924)
I'm familiar with the "creation story" but I question whether that is all necessary for other areas to thrive. Do I think that East BFE, Nowheresville is going to become the next Silicon Valley? No, probably not - but I don't know that it needs to. Twenty years from now, Google and Apple will probably still be at their respective California locations. But JohnDoe Co could be the biggest employer in <middle American city of 200,000> and do a lot of economic good there while reaping the benefits. Most of us don't need PE / VC like we think we do and there are plenty of good-enough universities around the country churning out new grads and attracting talented-enough researchers. This idea that we can only hire in coastal cities and from top-5 universities is all wrapped up in the same problem, and it doesn't make sense for the majority of businesses.
Re:Is It Time for the US to Drag Jobs Out of Silicon Valley ...
by mcguire on Tuesday December 17, 2019 @02:01PM
(#21817303)
"Most of us don't need PE / VC like we think we do..."
Don't look at me, I'm not the one you need to convince. That'd be the hordes of newly-graduated who think they have to move to <dense coastal city> to get a good job (although how much of that money will stick to them, I can't say).
Re:Is It Time for the US to Drag Jobs Out of Silicon Valley ...
by DerekL on Tuesday December 17, 2019 @03:04PM
(#21818123)
Maybe you don't need to go to a dense coastal city for your first job, but what about your second job, and your third job, etc? Very few jobs in tech will last your entire career. You could take a job in some random small city, but you'll probably have to move again in five years.
These tech hubs exist for very good reasons. Maybe you can make some more hubs, but you'll never spread these kind of jobs evenly all over.
1. Originally, the area was home to several very good universities. Today, these provide a ready source of workers with advanced job training. On the other hand, I'll bet they are a small minority of the workers in the area now.
2. That's where the money is. Much of the "capital"[1] comes from previously successful businesses and those people don't want to move (and don't have any problems with high rents).
3. Density promotes density. More workers there makes hiring new ones easier (and replacing old ones), and the availability of "attractive" jobs draws more workers.
The area hasn't (and probably can't) adapt as fast as money and immigrants, hence the infrastructure issues.
It's hard to fix that from the top down. Take Austin, which did it from the bottom up; a number of foresighted rich folks boosted UT's tech training, leading to it's success in recent decades, but it's now facing the same problems.
Options:
Hold your nose, go to CA and make your money and get the hell out.
Wait for the next cyclic bust, buy property when the prices collapse.
Organically start the process elsewhere, with the same results.
Choose to go elsewhere and accept the salary reduction.