Why It is So Laborious To Depart San Francisco: Pleasure, Worry, AI

I have been attempting to depart San Francisco since 2014. After faux retiring in 2012, I assumed it was solely logical to maneuver to a lower-cost space of the nation, like Honolulu, to save cash and be nearer to my people.

Sure, Honolulu is not low cost, however it’s cheaper than San Francisco! Nonetheless, each time I attempt to go away, San Francisco pulls me again in.

Listed here are some the explanation why:

• 2014: Discovered an ocean-view house in San Francisco for affordable, so I purchased it as an alternative of shopping for a way more costly ocean-view house in Honolulu. I by no means realized there have been ocean-view houses right here till I began to look.
• 2017: Had our first little one, so we determined to remain for continuity. As first-time mother and father, familiarity was vital.
• 2019: Had our second little one, and in addition determined to remain for continuity. There’s numerous consolation in realizing your medical doctors when you’ve a new child.
• 2020: The pandemic pressured us to shelter in place for a number of months. Relocating to a brand new metropolis with an toddler and three-and-a-half year-old throughout a pandemic creates extra uncertainty. Staying in San Francisco was a simple determination, which did not require transferring.
• 2021: Son obtained right into a Mandarin immersion faculty that had initially rejected him. He is loved his expertise up to now, so it is arduous to drag him out and place him in a brand new faculty.
• 4Q 2023: A chance to buy a dream house at a extra inexpensive worth, so we did.
• Fall 2024: The opportunity of going again to work full-time as soon as each children are in class full-time. The job alternatives are extra plentiful in San Francisco than in Honolulu.

Having A Household Makes Leaving Any Metropolis Extra Troublesome

If we did not have children, I am positive my spouse and I’d have relocated to Honolulu years in the past. We longed to reside a less complicated life close to the ocean in year-round heat climate. We had sufficient cash to reside comfortably, however not extravagantly.

I imagined fixing up my grandparents’ previous farmhouse in Waianae and consuming off the land. After breakfast, we would go to the seaside to boogie board or surf. Then we would come house, eat some poké, and take a nap. Then we would go for a late afternoon hike.

Though we would lose all standing and status, we would be mentally and bodily more healthy and happier! Not a nasty commerce over simply being profitable. Alas, we had children, that are a blessing.

After you have a household, inertia makes it very arduous to relocate. Your home, faculty, associates, community, and healthcare suppliers all maintain you stationary.

Why I Love San Francisco

In addition to America, I’ve lived between 2-4 years in 5 different nations. I’ve additionally visited over 150 cities worldwide. San Francisco is on my listing of the highest 5 greatest cities on the planet.

Listed here are the the explanation why:

• The climate is delicate year-round, which is nice for exercising outside.
• The town and the encompassing area are stunning, particularly when you can reside in a house with views.
• Napa/Sonoma Valley are solely an hour and quarter-hour away.
• Lake Tahoe has world-class snowboarding/snowboarding 3.5 hours away.
• Nearer to Hawaii and Asia than cities on the East Coast.
• Incredible universities similar to Berkeley, Stanford, UCSF, Santa Clara, and many others
• All the time a prime three culinary metropolis in America
• Bountiful job and consulting alternatives that pay properly
• One of the vital numerous cities on the planet
• One of many most cost-effective worldwide cities on the planet
• Tons of leisure, like tennis tournaments, entertainers, and artwork reveals come right here

Why I Dislike San Francisco

After all, no metropolis is ideal. Listed here are some the explanation why I dislike San Francisco:

• Some corrupt metropolis officers
• Authorities waste
• Crime and homelessness
• Excessive price of dwelling
• Intense hustle tradition in some industries
• Forms in the case of getting issues achieved

However the actuality is, each single metropolis has these bullet factors to numerous levels. The one factor I really like about Honolulu over San Francisco is the dearth of hustle tradition. As soon as you have left an intense profession, you will not wish to be always surrounded by go-getters.

Pleasure Is What Retains Me In San Francisco

I’ve gone via the professionals and cons of San Francisco many instances earlier than. However what I noticed most just lately is that pleasure is among the essential the explanation why I stay in San Francisco.

As somebody who simply will get bored, I must be in a vibrant metropolis the place there’s one thing thrilling all the time happening. Let me share a few examples.

1) APEC Comes To San Francisco

San Francisco just lately hosted APEC, the Asia Pacific Financial Council. President Biden, China’s President Xi, and a bunch of different world leaders got here to hob knob.

As an Asian one who lived in The Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia till highschool, it was thrilling to see 21 APEC leaders come to city and construct relationships. Listed here are some pictures of who got here to San Francisco for APEC.

Not solely had been world political leaders on the town however so had been prime musicians like Sting and Yoshiki serenading Marc Benioff (Founding father of Salesforce) and different luminaries at his occasion. Elon Musk got here to city as properly.

The world’s media was targeted on San Francisco for 2 weeks. The highlight brings in additional curiosity, extra investments, extra jobs, and extra demand to go to and reside within the metropolis.

It is arduous to depart San Francisco when you realize many individuals wish to reside right here.

2) OpenAI CEO Firing Debacle

After APEC ended, OpenAI’s board voted its CEO, Sam Altman out for an unspecified cause. After Atman’s firing, there was an enormous outcry of help from the VC and tech neighborhood. Greg Brockton, the President stop, together with a number of senior researchers. Because of this, the board is underneath immense stress to resign and reinstate Altman as CEO.

Should you’ve watched Succession on HBO, your complete OpenAI debacle feels just like the present on hyperspeed. Thrilling and interesting to look at!

As soon as once more, your complete tech world is concentrated on what the heck is occurring in San Francisco with the most important synthetic intelligence firm on the planet.

For a fast overview of what is going on on at OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT:

1. Altman clashed with the board on the route of the corporate (e.g. income vs. non-profit, AI security, pace of growth of know-how, Altman wanting to begin one other firm, and many others)
2. Energy battle between Altman and Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist
3. In a coup by Sutskever, on a Google Meet, “Ilya instructed Sam he was being fired and that the information was going out very quickly.” Shortly after, Brockman was instructed he was being faraway from his place as chairman of the board however would maintain on to his function as president. 
4. Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella discovered concerning the board’s determination similar to the remainder of us on Twitter, regardless of having invested over $10 billion in OpenAI. Apparently, regardless of the funding quantity, Microsoft does not have a board seat.
5. OpenAI staff had been on the cusp of with the ability to promote their shares at a staggering $86 billion valuation. However now that valuation quantity is wanting suspect. OpenAI’s board might have torched tens of billions in shareholder worth.
6. Now OpenAI’s board is underneath stress to reinstate Altman, who’s contemplating coming again if the board is eliminated. However he’s not! Emmett Shear from Twitch is now CEO.
7. Altman is becoming a member of Microsoft to steer a brand new AI challenge. Working for large tech looks like a disappointment for Altman.

Should you’ve lived in San Francisco since 2001, as I’ve, you inevitably will know individuals concerned on this drama. How may you allow?

Be In The Proper Place At The Proper Time To Get Wealthy

Half the battle of getting wealthy and/or getting forward is being in the fitting place on the proper time. When you may simply meet decision-makers in particular person, it is a lot simpler to construct relationships. And when you’ve good relationships, life will get simpler.

I am speaking about getting a job or a consulting gig, getting your children into faculty, elevating cash in your firm or fund, beginning a enterprise, and extra. Should you’re a useful and comparatively good particular person, you’re going to get farther forward than those that aren’t.

Laborious To Get Again In

Should you go away San Francisco, like many did in the course of the pandemic, there is a worry you may by no means be capable of get again in.

The job you vacated may have been taken by one other hungry colleague. Your community will overlook about you as soon as you allow. And the prime property you owned might be scooped up by one other household and never be obtainable for the following 80 years!

I’ve stayed in San Francisco since 2001 as a result of I felt the tech/web growth was right here to remain. Sure, the dotcom bubble had burst in March 2000, however the groundwork was laid for Internet 2.0.

Given I could not get a job in tech, I purchased public tech firm shares. Then I purchased as a lot San Francisco actual property as I may afford. Picks and shovels for many who’ve been shut out!

It appears apparent that synthetic intelligence will revolutionize the world once more. Nonetheless, this time, the stakes could also be even greater as a result of AI may get rid of my youngsters’s jobs in addition to yours.

Worry Retains Me In San Francisco

With Internet 1.0 and a couple of.0 corporations, there was a better chance of getting wealthy by becoming a member of these corporations or investing in them after they went public.

However with synthetic intelligence, there looks like much less alternative given fewer persons are wanted to scale. These personal AI corporations are staying personal for longer, shutting out public traders. As well as, synthetic intelligence is a direct assault on eliminating jobs in lots of industries!

By staying in San Francisco, I really feel like I am performing as a loyal soldier of the Evening’s Watch within the Recreation of Thrones. The White Walkers are coming to destroy us, it is solely a matter of time when. However after they do, I wish to be right here to defend my household!

AI is just like the Evening King

I am all the time considering 10+ years forward as a result of it’s important to if you wish to successfully plan in your future. With a 3 and six-year-old, I am involved for his or her futures.

From Non-Revenue To Mega Income

OpenAI went from being a non-profit whose mission was to assist humanity to being a for-profit firm value $86 billion and largely owned by Microsoft. Huh?

It doesn’t matter what the OpenAI leaders say, the explanation why the corporate grew to become a for-profit firm was to make tons of cash for its leaders, house owners, and staff. That is Capitalism 101!

Give it some thought. Regardless of how wealthy you already are, you may’t assist however need extra money, extra energy, extra fame.

Yet another current instance is Sam Bankman-Fried, his mother and father, and FTX. Regardless of having cash and status, they had been prepared to danger all of it for much more cash and status! To facilitate the misappropriation of funds after stellar careers in academia is nuts!

Hearken to all the company communicate you need from AI leaders selling a “innocent know-how” for the better good. There might be constructive advantages from AI for positive.

Nonetheless, there may even be loads of negatives as properly, together with huge disinformation, fraud, and tens of millions of job losses. ChatGPT and Claude.ai already scrapes the web for knowledge and makes it their very own with out given any attribution to creators like me.