Why It’s So Hard To Leave San Francisco: Excitement, Fear, AI

I have been attempting to depart San Francisco since 2014. After fake 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 go away, San Francisco pulls me again in.

Listed here are some the reason why:

• 2014: Discovered an ocean-view dwelling in San Francisco for reasonable, so I purchased it as an alternative of shopping for a way more costly ocean-view dwelling in Honolulu.
• 2017: Had our first baby, so we determined to remain for continuity. As first-time mother and father, we had sufficient stress.
• 2019: Had our second baby. There’s loads of consolation in figuring out your docs when you could have a new child.
• 2020: The pandemic compelled 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 bought right into a Mandarin immersion college. He is loved his expertise to date, so it is exhausting to tug him out and place him in a brand new college.
• 4Q 2023: A chance to buy a dream dwelling at a extra reasonably priced value, so we did.
• Fall 2024: The potential for going back to work full-time as soon as each children are at school 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 might 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’ 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 dwelling, eat some poké, and take a nap. Then we’d go for a late afternoon hike.

Though we would lose all status and prestige, we would be mentally and bodily more healthy and happier! Not a foul commerce over simply making a living. Alas, we had children, that are a blessing.

After you have a household, inertia makes it very exhausting to relocate. Your home, college, mates, 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 record of the highest 5 finest cities on the planet.

Listed here are the the reason why:

• The climate is gentle year-round, which is nice for exercising outside.
• 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 on
• All the time a high three culinary metropolis in America
• Bountiful job and consulting alternatives that pay properly
• One of the numerous cities on the planet
• One of many cheapest international cities in the world
• Tons of leisure, like tennis tournaments, entertainers, and artwork reveals come right here

Why I Dislike San Francisco

In fact, no metropolis is ideal. Listed here are some the reason why I dislike San Francisco:

• Some corrupt city officials
• Authorities waste
• Crime and homelessness
• Excessive value of dwelling
• Intense hustle tradition in some industries
• Paperwork in terms of getting issues performed

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

Pleasure Is What Retains Me In San Francisco

I’ve gone by way of the professionals and cons of San Francisco many occasions earlier than. However what I spotted most not too long ago is that pleasure is without doubt one of the major the reason why I stay in San Francisco.

As somebody who simply will get bored, I should 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 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 that 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 came 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 exhausting to depart San Francisco when you recognize 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 cause. 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 underneath immense strain to resign and reinstate Altman as CEO.

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

As soon as once more, the complete tech world is concentrated on what the heck is occurring in San Francisco with the biggest artificial 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. earnings vs. non-profit, AI security, pace of improvement of know-how, Altman wanting to begin one other firm, and so on)
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 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 concerning the board’s choice similar to the remainder of us on Twitter, regardless of having invested over $10 billion in OpenAI. Curiously, regardless of the funding quantity, Microsoft would not have a board seat.
5. OpenAI staff have been on the cusp of with the ability to promote their shares at a staggering $86 billion valuation. However now that valuation quantity is trying suspect. OpenAI’s board could have torched tens of billions in shareholder worth.
6. Now OpenAI’s board is underneath 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 guide a brand new AI undertaking. Working for giant tech looks as if a disappointment for Altman, however a win for Microsoft to manage extra items and get an in-house AI know-how.

In the event you’ve lived in San Francisco since 2001, as I’ve, you inevitably will know individuals concerned on this drama. How may you allow? The awkwardness goes to be superb through 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 suitable place on the proper time. When you’ll be able to simply meet decision-makers in particular person, it is a lot simpler to construct relationships. And when you could have good relationships, life will get simpler.

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

Arduous To Get Again In As soon as You Go away San Francisco

In the event you go away San Francisco, like many did through the pandemic, there is a concern you would possibly by no means be capable of get again in.

The job you vacated can have been taken by a hungry colleague. Your community will overlook about you as soon as you allow. And the prime property you owned will likely be scooped up by one other household and never be accessible 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 bought as much San Francisco real estate 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 larger as a result of AI may eradicate my kids’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 higher risk of getting wealthy by becoming a member of these corporations or investing in them after they went public.

However with artificial intelligence, there looks as if 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 appearing 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 once they do, I need to be right here to defend my household!

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 Income In AI

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

Huh?

It doesn’t matter what the OpenAI leaders say, the explanation why the corporate turned 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’ll be able to’t assist however need extra money, extra energy, and extra fame.

Hearken to all the company communicate you need from AI leaders selling a “innocent know-how” for the higher good of humanity. There will likely be constructive advantages from AI for certain. Nonetheless, there will 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 surprise why Medium is obstructing all AI crawlers from its content material.