[RestlessMind]

> talent pool of this other 90% of the world

I have hired a lot of people and for key hires above a certain level, existing tech hubs (SV, Seattle, NYC, Denver) account for a vast majority of the available candidate pool. There are a few other hubs beyond these (London, Singapore, Bangalore) but you are constraining yourself massively.

New grads / junior ICs is another story.

[Beaver117]

Who do you mean by key hires? Senior SWE? Staff? Managers, Directors? I would think there are plenty of experienced people all over the world.

[RestlessMind]

I would say for roles in senior management (Directors, VPs) and senior engineering (Tech lead, Chief Architect).

> I would think there are plenty of experienced people all over the world.

Unfortunately, no. Until 2020, remote work was rare so to grow into a senior role, ambitious and talented people had to move to various hubs. That created a feedback loop with all the senior talent flocking to major tech hubs. Now you will find only a tiny proportion of senior talent in non-hub locations.

So if you cut off major US tech hubs (SV, NYC, Seattle, Denver) from your hiring pipeline, you are cutting off a majority of your prospective senior hires.