Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engineers in the US?

Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by gifwithaj on Sunday July 04, 2021 @10:06AM (#27729714)

The anti-American scree at the end here is hilariously inaccurate. The "inequality" has a kernel of truth- but that's why having a high salary in the US is amazing.

I'm an average developer at an unglamorous company you've never heard of. I have unlimited vacation and lots of company holidays. Parental leave is full pay for 5 or 6 months, my monthly healthcare costs are the same as a single hour of wage if I was paid hourly, which thankfully I'm on salary because I really only work about 30 hours a week. My city isn't very walkable overall, but my high salary means I can live in the area that is. Oh, and despite buying everything that I want I still save so much that I'll be retired at age 40.

And again- I'm not special or unique or lucky or privileged. I went to a public school in a poor area, got a job by applying to a public listing with no connections, and haven't had any lucky IPO or investment win, just plain boring salary at a plain boring company writing CRUD applications.

Western Europe gives a better quality of life than America if you're low income. America gives better quality of life if you're high income. Eastern Europe is mostly lower quality regardless of occupation.

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Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by kolinko on Sunday July 04, 2021 @10:52AM (#27730052)

I don't know how you define Eastern Europe, but I've had a bunch of friends who moved back to Poland after working in Google in the Bay Area, claiming that the quality of life is better here.

Ditto myself - I spend winters in SF, because of the weather and amazing people and the community there, but in most other aspects Warsaw wins. City cleanliness, restaurants & coffee places (sic), access to schools, transportation, and healthcare. SF by comparison has awesome nature, clean air and brilliant community. Plus access to one-day shipping of a ton of stuff unavailable in Europe.

As for lower-income people, I'm curious what metrics you used. With the main ones that come to my mind (education, healthcare, work benefits, unemployed benefits) I think Poland and Europe win. But lower income people can't afford cars and iPhones - so that's different.

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Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by sgt on Sunday July 04, 2021 @04:34PM (#27732393)

Pretty much everyone can afford a car these days. You're probably thinking of a new car.

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Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by KptMarchewa on Sunday July 04, 2021 @07:15PM (#27733384)

Buying a car is only one part. You're probably true that pretty much anyone could buy a car, even if that's just an old Matiz. But also to maintain, insure and fuel it? No.

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Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by sgt on Tuesday July 06, 2021 @05:42AM (#27746064)

You would only get third party insurance, not full coverage. Then it will become much cheaper.

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Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by KptMarchewa on Tuesday July 06, 2021 @10:09AM (#27748795)

Yearly OC, as what it's called in Poland, is still about 50% of value of Matiz.

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Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by sgt on Wednesday July 07, 2021 @06:14AM (#27759384)

That is crazy. Seems you guys are being ripped off by the insurance companies!

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Re:Ask HN: How do SMBs afford such expensive software engine... by IkmoIkmo on Sunday July 04, 2021 @10:29AM (#27729869)

The final bit of my post wasn't talking about software developers, but simply about the differences in income between the US and EU in general, and how they don't translate into as large differences in quality of life. It's quite obvious that software developers get way better deals in the US and tons of perks, no need to add your personal story because besides it being merely an anecdote, it completely misses the point you're responding to.

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