[triceratops]

> Most of our workers don't work as hard and they don't have to worry about healthcare costs.

I appreciate that you wrote such an otherwise thoughtful post. But as a founder, I think this may be a blind spot for you.

Most SV tech employees also don't have to worry about healthcare costs in any meaningful way. At every company I've worked at in the Bay Area, I've only done more than the standard 40 hours/week when I was chasing a big promotion. Or doing something I was especially excited about. And I've done OK in my career so far - I'm quite satisfied.

Whereas the salaries at most startup-y tech companies are laughable in Toronto or Vancouver compared to the housing costs (one Vancouver company seriously quoted me CAD 80k for a frontend role slinging React code 2 years ago).

The big companies in the Bay Area pay 3x the average Toronto startup. I promise you they aren't working 120 hour weeks, and I'm sure your employees aren't working 13 hour weeks.

[3pt14159]

Well, I appreciate the response. I'm not saying that the difference is huge, just that I've noticed it. The Americans I've worked with seem to get a little bit more done, generally speaking, than the Canadians. Not enough to make up for the difference, but still. And of course we're talking about distributions of productivity here. One of the fastest developers I've ever worked with was French Canadian.

I know Americans that worry about healthcare costs even if they have healthcare insurance, but now that I think of it, very few are from California so perhaps the laws or norms are different there.

Also, the big companies in the Bay Area aren't really what I'm talking about. Google tried to recruit me almost a decade ago and I turned them down. I don't want to be a cog in a machine that big. I'm comparing your typical 50 person startup to a typical 50 person startup in Canada. The salaries are about the same, but in their respective currencies. I could make $200k USD in America or I could make $200 CAD in Toronto. Shrug.

Thanks for the response.

[triceratops]

> I'm comparing your typical 50 person startup to a typical 50 person startup in Canada...I could make $200 CAD in Toronto. Shrug.

It's been a couple of years since I last looked. But I don't know any 50-person startup in Toronto that pays that much. If you know specific names... :-)

[3pt14159]

I mean, I'm sorry to break this to you but if you're good at data science or complex backend web development it's pretty common. I was making around $225k CAD a year (straight cash, not counting options) at 500px a decade ago when it was around 35 people. Now nominally I was Chief Data Scientist and it included some IP from my two person startup they acquired, but it was an aquihire and everyone knew it. I had just turned 27.

Look for startups funded by pro investors with deep pockets that operate in Canada and negotiate with a willingness to walk away.

[triceratops]

No worries, I'm under no illusions my skill is anywhere near yours. But I think it's fair to say you'd make even more in the US. Not just <same number in USD> more. Most people would. I do as well, even though I'm nowhere near your level.

[novok]

And what is sad, they were still quoting that $70k or $80k 10 years ago too!!!!

Wage stagnation is a big issue in canada, probably is for the rest of the USA too.