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

I have been making an attempt to go away 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, but it surely’s cheaper than San Francisco! Nonetheless, each time I attempt to depart, San Francisco pulls me again in.

Listed here are some the explanation why:

• 2014: Discovered an ocean-view residence in San Francisco for reasonable, so I purchased it as an alternative of shopping for a way more costly ocean-view residence 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 understanding your medical doctors when you could 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 obtained right into a Mandarin immersion faculty. He is loved his expertise thus far, so it is laborious to tug him out and place him in a brand new faculty.
• 4Q 2023: A chance to buy a dream residence at a extra inexpensive value, so we did.
• Fall 2024: The potential of going back to work full-time as soon as each youngsters 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 Tough

If we did not have youngsters, 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I imagined fixing up my grandparents’ outdated farmhouse in Waianae and consuming off the land.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 seaside 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 status and prestige, we would be mentally and bodily more healthy and happier! Not a foul commerce over simply getting cash. Alas, we had youngsters, that are a blessing.

Upon getting a household, inertia makes it very laborious to relocate. Your own home, faculty, mates, community, and healthcare suppliers all preserve you stationary.

Why I Love San Francisco

In addition to America, I’ve lived between 6 months and 4 years in six different international locations. 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 outdoor.
• Town and the encircling area are stunning, particularly for those who 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 corresponding to Berkeley, Stanford, UCSF, Santa Clara, and so forth
• All the time a prime three culinary metropolis in America
• Bountiful job and consulting alternatives that pay effectively
• One of the crucial various 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 explanation why I dislike San Francisco:

• Some corrupt city officials
• Authorities waste
• Crime and homelessness
• Excessive price of residing
• Intense hustle tradition in some industries
• Paperwork with regards to getting issues carried out

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 wish to be continuously surrounded by go-getters.

Pleasure Is What Retains Me In San Francisco

I’ve gone by means of the professionals and cons of San Francisco many instances earlier than. However what I noticed most not too long ago is that pleasure is without doubt one of the fundamental the explanation why I stay in San Francisco.

As somebody who simply will get bored, I have to 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 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 came 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 effectively.

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 laborious to go away San Francisco when you already know many individuals wish 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 group. Greg Brockton, the President give up, together with a number of senior researchers. Because of this, the board is beneath 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 look at!

As soon as once more, your 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 forth)
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 function as president. 
4. Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella came upon in regards to 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 would not have a board seat.
5. OpenAI staff had been on the cusp of having the ability to promote their shares at a staggering $86 billion valuation. However now that valuation quantity is trying suspect. OpenAI’s board might have torched tens of billions in shareholder worth.
6. Now OpenAI’s board is beneath 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 large 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 individuals concerned on this drama. How might you permit?

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 correct place on the proper time. When you possibly can simply meet decision-makers in individual, 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 youngsters into faculty, elevating cash on your firm or fund, beginning a enterprise, and extra. When you’re a useful and comparatively good individual, you’re going to get farther forward than those that aren’t.

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

When you depart San Francisco, like many did through the pandemic, there is a worry you may by no means be capable to 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 permit. And the prime property you owned will probably 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 Net 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 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 larger as a result of AI might eradicate my kids’s jobs in addition to yours.

Concern Retains Me In San Francisco

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

However with artificial intelligence, there looks like much less alternative given fewer individuals are wanted to scale. These non-public AI firms are staying non-public 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 Sport 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!

I am all the time considering 10+ years forward as a result of it’s important to if you wish to successfully plan on 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 value $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, homeowners, and staff.

That is Capitalism 101!

Give it some thought. Irrespective of how wealthy you already are, you possibly can’t assist however need more cash, extra energy, and extra fame.

Hearken to all the company converse you need from AI leaders selling a “innocent know-how” for the better good of humanity. There will probably be optimistic advantages from AI for certain. Nonetheless, there may also be negatives as effectively, together with huge disinformation, fraud, and thousands and thousands of job losses.

ChatGPT and Claude.ai already scrapes the web for information 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.