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

I have been making an attempt to go away San Francisco since 2014. After faux retiring in 2012, I believed it was solely logical to maneuver to a lower-cost space of the nation, like Honolulu, to save cash and be nearer to my of us.

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

Listed here are some the reason why:

• 2014: Discovered an ocean-view residence in San Francisco for reasonable, so I purchased it as a substitute of shopping for a way more costly ocean-view residence in Honolulu.
• 2017: Had our first youngster, so we determined to remain for continuity. As first-time dad and mom, we had sufficient stress.
• 2019: Had our second youngster. There’s plenty of consolation in understanding your medical doctors when you may have 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.
• 2021: Son acquired right into a Mandarin immersion faculty. He is loved his expertise to this point, so it is arduous to tug him out and place him in a brand new faculty.
• 4Q 2023: A chance to buy a dream residence at a extra reasonably priced value, so we did.
• Fall 2024: The potential for 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 certain my spouse and I’d have relocated to Honolulu years in the past. We longed to stay an easier life close to the ocean in year-round heat climate. We had sufficient cash to stay comfortably, however not extravagantly.

I imagined fixing up my grandparents’ outdated farmhouse in Waianae and consuming off the land. After breakfast, we would go to the seashore to boogie board or surf. Then we would come residence, eat some poké, and take a nap. Then we’d 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 getting a household, inertia makes it very arduous to relocate. Your home, faculty, pals, community, and healthcare suppliers all maintain you stationary.

Why I Love San Francisco

Moreover America, I’ve lived between 6 months and 4 years in six different nations. I’ve additionally visited over 150 cities worldwide. San Francisco is on my listing of the highest 5 greatest cities on this planet.

Listed here are the the reason why:

• The climate is gentle year-round, which is nice for exercising outside.
• The town and the encircling area are stunning, particularly should you can stay 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.
• Improbable universities comparable to Berkeley, Stanford, UCSF, Santa Clara, and so forth
• All the time a high three culinary metropolis in America
• Bountiful job and consulting alternatives that pay properly
• Probably the most numerous cities on this planet
• One of many least expensive worldwide cities on this 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 reason why I dislike San Francisco:

• Some corrupt metropolis officers
• Authorities waste
• Crime and homelessness
• Excessive price of residing
• Intense hustle tradition in some industries
• Forms with regards to getting issues finished

However the actuality is, each single metropolis has these bullet factors to varied levels. The one factor I really like about Honolulu over San Francisco is the shortage of hustle tradition. As soon as you’ve got left an intense profession, you will not need to be consistently surrounded by go-getters.

Pleasure Is What Retains Me In San Francisco

I’ve gone by the professionals and cons of San Francisco many occasions earlier than. However what I spotted most not too long ago is that pleasure is among the principal the reason 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 occurring. Let me share a few examples.

1) APEC Comes To San Francisco

San Francisco not too long ago 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 photographs of who got here to San Francisco for APEC.

Not solely have been world political leaders on the town however so have been high 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 centered on San Francisco for 2 weeks. The highlight brings in additional curiosity, extra investments, extra jobs, and extra demand to go to and stay within the metropolis.

It is arduous to go away San Francisco when you realize many individuals need to stay right here.

2) OpenAI CEO Firing Debacle

After APEC ended, OpenAI’s board voted its CEO, Sam Altman out for an unspecified purpose. After Atman’s firing, there was an enormous outcry of assist from the VC and tech neighborhood. Greg Brockton, the President give up, together with a number of senior researchers. Consequently, the board is below immense strain to resign and reinstate Altman as CEO.

When you’ve watched Succession on HBO, your complete OpenAI debacle feels just like the present on hyperspeed. Thrilling and engaging to watch!

As soon as once more, your complete tech world is targeted on what the heck is occurring in San Francisco with the most important synthetic intelligence firm on this 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 path of the corporate (e.g. earnings vs. non-profit, AI security, pace of growth of know-how, Altman wanting to start out one other firm, and so forth)
2. Energy wrestle between Altman and Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist
3. In a coup by Sutskever, on a Google Meet, “Ilya informed Sam he was being fired and that the information was going out very quickly.” Shortly after, Brockman was informed he was being faraway from his place as chairman of the board however would maintain on to his position as president. 
4. Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella discovered in regards to the board’s choice identical to the remainder of us on Twitter, regardless of having invested over $10 billion in OpenAI. Curiously, regardless of the funding quantity, Microsoft does not have a board seat.
5. OpenAI staff have been on the cusp of having the ability to promote their shares at a staggering $86 billion valuation. However now that valuation quantity is wanting suspect. OpenAI’s board could have torched tens of billions in shareholder worth.
6. Now OpenAI’s board is below strain 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 mission. Working for giant tech looks like a disappointment for Altman, however a win for Microsoft to manage extra items and get an in-house AI know-how.

When you’ve lived in San Francisco since 2001, as I’ve, you inevitably will know folks concerned on this drama. How might you allow? The awkwardness goes to be wonderful throughout the subsequent board assembly!

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 appropriate 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 may have 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. When you’re a useful and comparatively good particular person, you’re going to get farther forward than those that aren’t.

Exhausting To Get Again In As soon as You Depart San Francisco

When you depart San Francisco, like many did throughout the pandemic, there is a concern you may by no means be capable of get again in.

The job you vacated could have been taken by a 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 out there for the subsequent 30 years!

I’ve lived 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 might afford. Picks and shovels for individuals 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 might eradicate 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 larger risk 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 individuals 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 appearing as a loyal soldier of the Night time’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 need to be right here to defend my household!

AI is just like the Night time King

I am all the time pondering 10+ years forward as a result of you need 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 Earnings In AI

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 rationale 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. Irrespective of how wealthy you already are, you may’t assist however need extra money, extra energy, and extra fame.

Take heed to all the company communicate you need from AI leaders selling a “innocent know-how” for the larger good of humanity. There might be optimistic advantages from AI for certain. Nonetheless, there can even be negatives as properly, together with large 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. But, AI of us say this is not stealing. No marvel why Medium is obstructing all AI crawlers from its content material.