On the other hand, the perception that being onsite makes me more valuable is the reason I get paid more than somebody in Peoria or Phuket. Even though I think that perception is probably false, I moved to the Valley because I might as well benefit rather than suffer from it. If remote work were the norm, we'd all be competing with people who currently work for rates that would barely feed us, and I'm still surprised the industry sort of gave up on outsourcing rather than solve the fraud problem.

I don't think outsourcing is the big problem, because at the heart of it, you still have to have clear communication.

I think the biggest advantage of living in the Valley would be the ability to meet other people and establish connections. A worker should be paid mostly for the value that they provide to their company, not necessarily just their cost of living.

I don't think that anyone wants to undercut someone else in the industry. That's just a bad practice that hurts everyone in the end.