[GDC7]

> but no one in a small town looks at NYC or SF and thinks it’s a successful, nice place to live

Cities are like poker tables, whereas countries are like a casino. Sitting at the highest poker table in the casino means nothing, to make it worthwhile you have to actually win and thrive at it, otherwise you'd be miserable, losing each and every hand.

If the US is a casino, then NYC , LA, SF, Chicago are the big tables. But each and every player has a goal to win as much money as they can with the least effort...and in order to do that sitting at the biggest tables might not be the best strategy after all. In fact it could be the worse strategy of all.

> There is absolutely zero reason why millions need to be crammed in a single geographic location when we all work online anyway.

If you think the level of your game is up with the pros and you want to sit at the big tables then you might as well go physically there to take advantage of all the positive effects of playing 24/7/365.

Same reason why people want to go to Vegas , Atlantic City and Macao to play poker instead of simply playing online.

[Volundr]

> If you think the level of your game is up with the pros and you want to sit at the big tables then you might as well go physically there to take advantage of all the positive effects of playing 24/7/365.

Uhhh what? Ignoring that there is more to life than making as much money as possible, I'm currently working remotely for a company based in one of these areas and doing quite well, so I guess I can "play with the pros", but what possible advantage do I get by giving up my $1k/month mortgage and no commute to go pay twice that for a studio apartment and a traffic jam?

[GDC7]

> play with the pros

The thing is that when you live in a big city you never stop playing, once you are done competing in the work setting you actually start competing in the social setting.

WHile working remotely for a company based out of NYC/LA/SF you are at those poker tables, but only during the time you work, so that makes it an 8/5/210 vs. a 24/7/365.

You miss out on the serendepity and the social part which is equally as important and can give you the biggest breaks.

[Volundr]

I honestly do not understand what your getting at here. I think your suggesting my career is diminished because... I don't spend every waking minute with my co-workers or others in my profession? I wouldn't do that if I lived in NYC/LA/SFC either, I have no desire to be on 24/7/365, especially for the vague benefit of "serendipity".

If your career only advances because you went to the bar with your co-workers your workplace is broken. And I bet I'll find a far better start up partner at a hackathon or a conference (or just at work) than the local pub.

[GDC7]

Competition is not solely about the working environment.

Competition also happens in the social environment both during working hours with co-workers but most importantly once you clock out.

Once you clock out the competition moves to other venues: the bar, the club, the parking lot, the gym, the shooting range...

Each of those venues is embedded in the big city.

If you frequent certain places in NYC/LA and you know how to carry yourself and are socially competent, sooner rather than later you'd be offered a role in some independent film.

Also Poker games, big sport events which double as networking opportuinities, tennis clubs, yacht clubs....

[Volundr]

I powerlift in my spare time. I have a group of friends who do so, we both compete and encourage each other. I fail to see how this is somehow better because we're doing it in LA. As for the idea that the shooting range is "embedded" in the big city like it's something I can't get in the rural US... just weird.

As for getting offered roles, I haven't had any issues. Oddly their generally based on my work skill-set and my professional network built up over a career of doing good work and delivering results while empowering my reports to do the same, not being "socially competent" at the tennis club.