Doubtful their location ranks high on the list of reasons they couldn’t hire. I interviewed there and one of the major reasons I was excited was that it would give me a good reason to move back to Florida. The interview was, to put it nicely, unusual. The highlight of it was trying to have a conversation with a director who sounded like he was driving down I-95 in a convertible, and was getting frustrated that I couldn’t understand a word he was saying.
I absolutely think the region is high on the list of reasons they can't hire. They pay less for worse jobs at lamer companies and don't have money flowing to startups. Magic Leap was very much the exception, and it's kinda cool because it's there because the founder liked it, just like Shockley thought NorCal was dope.
And much like Shockley semi I think ML is a flash in the pan. But unlike Shockley Semi, Abovitz didn't hire an equivalent of the traitorous 8 because they already worked out here and got paid way more money to hang out at a FAANG or startup.
Everyone I'd want to work with from my time in South Florida is either out of the area or trying to leave. It pays like shit, and there is no money or companies down there to make cool shit to make up for it. Besides ML. But it appears that is shifting.
I moved from San Francisco to South Florida as an experiment in being fully remote. It's been pretty good so far, but if I was looking for another job, I'd hit up everyone I know in SF for a remote position first.
There aren't many like-minded people here, and that's kind of nice for a change. I still love San Francisco, but it simply priced me out of living there. I'd rather retire in 5 years here than work another 30 there.
