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Comment by biztos | Hacker News Reader

> The result is happy employees/contractors with no sense of entitlement.

I don't get what you mean. No sense of entitlement to, say, a fair share of the money flowing through your company?

Do the founders also live in a cheaper place or do they get SF money in return for "dealing with" Silicon Valley?

If you can extend the runway for your seed money this way, can you do it forever while still being an SF/SV company? Won't this eventually create huge differences in pay?

If I am tired of my India Remote salary and want a Singapore Remote salary, wouldn't it actually be in your own self-interest to give it to me without my actually moving to Singapore?

I don't disagree with your premise, but it sounds a bit like you're trying more for cheap labor than for building the best team you can regardless of geography. Sorry if I'm misinterpreting that.

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I can see how you would come to that (incorrect) conclusion. No sense of entitlement to free lunches, plush offices, massages, and other perks that are common in SV. In return, no expectation of being tied to the office or working crazy hours.

We pay everyone exceptionally well - way higher than they would normally make in their home countries. Even at low-mid Bay Area levels. Just not near the top end of Bay Area salaries. There's no huge disparity in the pay for anyone. See my comment history for who is hiring posts with salaries included.

The founders live in SV and earn less than most of the workers actually. I think longer term we're going to just move away - we have no ties here at this point and we're just throwing money down the drain.

> entitlement to free lunches, plush offices, massages

Are they really so common that candidates expect them, or is it just a Google-et-al thing? Serious question, I know a lot of tech folks in SF and I don't hear about the comical "perks" except from Google and Facebook people working in the Valley.

> See my comment history for who is hiring posts with salaries included.

Done. So out of curiosity do you attempt to pay the same actual salary regardless of the candidate's location?

FWIW I don't live in the US, and I work remotely, and have done for many years. I work with people in Europe, the US and Asia. It always seemed to me you'd be better off setting pay regardless of location, but as soon as I contemplate the details of it (taxes, possible perverse incentives) at anything more than an early-stage startup, my head hurts.

Best of luck with your company!

We pay more based on experience and value brought to the team. Location doesn’t really factor into it. People tell us what they want (and we also publicize a range) and then we try to find something that works (typically it’s more than what people ask for).

The entitlement part really goes beyond the free lunches. That was just an example. It’s hard to articulate succinctly. Another example is having to tread carefully to avoid people quitting on a whim because there are so many options. So people get pandered to all the time even when it’s not in anyone’s best interest.

Thanks for sharing your perspective!

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