I think places like this is just over rated, they hype areas like this to get people to pay extra for normal stuff

I had a relatively similar upbringing as you (competitive high school in the Bay Area, moved to SoCal for school, eventually got a SWE job after many years after graduation) and I can say that the Bay Area definitely feels socially barren and the values are way more centered around work and TC I currently live in SF for work and I constantly think about moving back to LA just to feel more alive and escape thinking about work

I was born and raised in SF and went to UC Berkeley so I moved out of state for a few years to see what was out there. I ended up coming back about a year ago because I missed the temperate weather, proximity to other places around CA, food, my family, and community that I have here. I'm not in tech but I can see how empty, soul sucking, and just overall depressing it is to be part of that culture. I think it's really important to find friends and people who have a life outside of work. There's more to life than work.

Silicon Valley definitely has that energy and it’s a super interesting ecosystem. I’ve only worked remotely for startups there, so it’s been interesting exposure to the culture. Thanks for sharing!

Nicely summed up. Everything tracks with my experience

I’m with you. 🙌🏻 I’ve been in tech for almost 15+ years and I’ve never really had a strong desire to live in the Bay Area. I did briefly thought I had to move there for my career but I quickly changed my mind.

You are very honest, keep it that way, keep it real. Thanks.

thanks for taking the time to make this video. I just want to share 2 quick thoughts (not addressing anything else in the video or a larger body of reply I'd have on this topic). (1) *Great & Affordable Housing Can Be Found:* If you look hard enough you can find housing that is great & affordable. I live in a large, sunny, townhome near Lower Haight / Alamo Square w/ 2 roommates (who I never really see) for $1,600/mo. A full-sized kitchen, deck with a view, sunny bedroom, etc. If you look hard & long enough, actually good deals can be found (direct w/ landlords, which is the best situation since the property upkeep is better) - but yes, most things you'll find on Craigslist, etc are average to bad deals (maybe 90%+ aren't great places to live where you compromise something). But every 1/2/3 months special deals come up & when you go on a tour you'll find a gem of a place & landlord. Also, in NYC you get less housing-wise & will pay more on-average (though if you gain a lot by way of actually having a vibrant & diverse city). (2) *The Tech Focus Can Inspire You:* It can be a bit suffocating at times, there are a lot of insufferable people here - but I can't imagine living anywhere else in the USA right now. Most of my friends from college live in DC or NYC, if I ever end up back in NYC it will be to be closer to my family / friends. But in terms of loving the energy of a place, the natural beauty - SF has it (and the weather actually is very sunny, it isn't gloomy 9 months of the year - with ~60+ of rain happening in Dec/Jan/Feb). It's a city that welcomes all, the outcasts, etc. But you can still live a normal, sociable life in the midst of this. Social lifestyle is highly variable to the individual...hard to pin what will work for who. I'm still figuring it out too.

You are an amazing narrator/creator.

I was in SF around february for a pitch event, had a conversation with few people involved in the startup scene, they all told me the same thing: "I am here for the loot, after that, will just leave" Had the feeling everybody was on a goldrush but didnt even like what they were doing most of the time. However, seen the Golden Gate was something tho, grew up in South America i always saw the pictures, but its pretty cool irl I have the same opinion, mixed feelings with the area, plus the homeless around Union Square gave me vibes of living in a favela, and that is not good for a city that is the center of tech worldwide atm.

I lived in the Bay Area all my life. The only thing we have here are the headquarters of giant tech companies and high cost housing. Plenty of other places with better food, better value on housing, better social life, better night life, better outdoor events. It seems everyone is more to themselves here and always working to pay for a place to live. We have very committed working people who focus life on work, vs other places who focus on social life, family and friends.

Nice vid 👍🏽 This actually mirrors my experience/sentiment quite a bit as someone being in the industry for about 6 years. I also work from San Diego for a company HQ’d in San Jose 😂

They Bay Area has really lost its luster over the decades. You're right, it is THE place for technology. The place that produces a lot of techies. Where the VC are also. But that attracted and produced the monoculture that you have there today. Not a very diverse place if you think about it. And now, there are many tech hubs across the country/world today. Ppl have a choice of where to live.

I was raised in the South Bay and I absolutely hated it. It's been my life's dream to move away and never come back, but I can't even do that since I can't get a job outside the area.

“Thousands of top ten companies” 😂 thought there’d only be ten companies in the top ten?

I actually wanted to go to UCI when I was in high school, it's actually considered one of the best CS universities in SoCal. I would have picked UCI over UCLA for CS. Though eventually I knew I didn't want to live in SF after seeing how the lifestyle was there. Sometimes I even question if tech is really for me, I don't really see myself doing it forever. Just the whole culture isn't quite for me, I'm in the middle of it being engaging enough to keep me going though.

I never wanted to go to Silicon Valley or work for MAANG. I have had recruiters reach out to me from big companies, but I turn them down cause at the local company I will work for there's a great culture, the people are kind, and it's fully remote. Why would I give that up?

Rent is too damn high! I'm not trying to be a slave to the City and landlord.

This is the 5th year since we moved to San Jose from Arizona. I don't know why, but I just don't feel this place is American. People don't treat stop signs seriously. I'd feel really privileged if someone shows me some turning signals before merging the lane. My kid was used to greet people and be greeted by people he met outside back then in AZ, but in bay area he constantly got ignored when he tried to greet people. These might be small things for some people, but these small things add up to make this area not American like in my opinion.

I live in the Silicon Valley and was raised here. There is nothing to do.....if anybody knows anything to do after getting off work in the Silicon Valley (San Jose, Cupertino area) do let me know

You maybe lazy and didn’t go to UCB, you have really good insights and cut through things. You have genius insights which you should keep building on. I spent years trying to get to Silicon Valley from Manhattan and moved to Palo Alto for 5 years. It was a lonely suburban life, where weather was great but it was not a place where if you weren’t born there, you would want to stay. The cost of housing and living did not make sense, even for those that had money. My wife so lonely, we could not see retiring there and getting old lonely.

Yeah San Francisco feels less like a city. Is more of a place to work. Everything there closes early like at 5 or 6. Plus the diversity of people’s profession is lacking. Like oh cool another dev. I want to meet other people from a different profession.

All that liquid IV tells me a lot about a portion of your lifestyle. Lol. Just had to point that out.

I didn't know you grew up in norcal

Of course, you focused on the wrong city: SF. SF sucks. If you wanted a real cool urban experience and vibe: Downtown SJ. Way better than SF and the urban fabric you wanted so much, not the extremely dull suburban grid of Mountain View. Had you lived in Downtown SJ, you would most likely still be in Silicon Valley and liking it like a lot of high tech guys who live in Downtown SJ.

Please change with me 😅

This kid is low-key depressed

so why don't you move to New York? But the way I see it, New York is very impersonal. I was on the subway one day and everybody was like, they have no emotion on their face. It was scary. San Fran and Silicon Valley also have become a place where people come over and dig some money and leave, cities full of gold diggers, and they have become somewhat like New York. The other thing is, some point in life, I got the idea that life doesn't owe it to you that it has to give you all the satisfying things. You have to fight for it. Having said that, this is what I feel: in Silicon Valley where there are 1/3 people from a country, 1/3 people from another country, and 1/3 people local, there are 1/3 people who'd love to hire their own kind, and there are 1/3 people who'd also love to hire to their own kind, and they may view people who live else where but want independence, not their type. And if a region already went back to them from Britain as a colony... well, those people are too verbose and want democracy and why don't they just be silent and obey. See, they are also not one of their own kind. So you have 2/3 of the hiring population possibly not favoring you... so you have to fight your own way

You are ungrateful. California has the best weather and great job opportunities. I live in Canada. 8 months of the year is severely cold and the job prospects are not good.

All that liquid IV tells me a lot about a portion of your lifestyle. Lol. Just had to point that out.