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Comment by rgbrenner | Hacker News Reader

I'm reading between the lines here (so you're welcome to correct me).. but is part of it this:

The money is coming out your pocket, and you're losing more money as time goes by. You're stressed out about that, and trying to save money. So you're trying to find the cheapest developers you can, and the candidates that are ok with you're low ball salary are those without a lot of options (ie: unqualified, inexperienced, etc). But the good developers, they want real money (which you've misinterpreted as "fuck you, pay me").

Look I run a self-funded startup too.. and people are expensive. I get it. But it's a market. Those good developers aren't refusing to work for you because they don't want to work for anyone. They're refusing because they can get other offers. Your low salary offer isn't interesting to them.

It's as simple as that.

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No, incorrect. I have more than enough money to not worry about paying good salaries for a year or so. We're not in the US though, so we're definitely not paying inflated US salaries. Other than that, we're generally slightly above the market rate.

Are US salaries inflated, versus are other markets not caught up yet?

Definitively inflated. Whenever I visit the US, I notice how everything except food is overpriced. The taxes are insane, you need lawyers and tax accountants for every cough you make and the quality of life is hardly the same as in Europe or Asia. If anyone's got any catching up to do, it's the US. No offense - I like the country (visiting), but it's just unreasonably expensive. How can anyone choose to live there is beyond me. Right now it's the opposite of freedom, unless you're insanely rich - then you can feel comfortable.

I assume you visited outside of major cities and compared like for like? The US is not expensive.

Even in rural areas, most services will cost you more than basically all European countries (except for Scandinavia). Taxes tend to be higher in Europe but cost of living quite a bit lower.

Doesn't that difference in taxes make up the offset?

Also, there are extremely expensive European cities, London and Paris come to mind. Even basic necessities, like food, was far more expensive than I was expecting in Paris.