> I've tried to build a local network, but haven't had much success yet.

I've had a similar problem in Rhode Island.

It seems like meaningful meetups are just hard when you don't live near a large community of software developers with similar interests.

I imagine remote work exacerbates this. I.e., more of us live away from those population centers.

I have a friend in Pawtucket who is a tech consultant and seems to do OK. Maybe he would know about local meetups.