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

I have been attempting to go away San Francisco since 2014. After pretend retiring in 2012, I assumed it was solely logical to maneuver to a lower-cost space of the nation, like Honolulu, to save cash and be nearer to my people.

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 below are some the explanation 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 little one, so we determined to remain for continuity. As first-time mother and father, we had sufficient stress.
• 2019: Had our second little one. There’s lots of consolation in understanding your medical doctors when you may 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 received right into a Mandarin immersion college. He is loved his expertise up to now, so it is onerous to tug him out and place him in a brand new college.
• 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 youngsters 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 Tough

If we did not have youngsters, I am positive 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’ previous farmhouse in Waianae and consuming off the land. After breakfast, we might go to the seashore to boogie board or surf. Then we might come residence, eat some poké, and take a nap. Then we’d go for a late afternoon hike.

Though we might lose all standing and status, we might be mentally and bodily more healthy and happier! Not a foul commerce over simply creating wealth. Alas, we had youngsters, that are a blessing.

Upon getting a household, inertia makes it very onerous to relocate. Your own home, college, mates, community, and healthcare suppliers all maintain you stationary.

Why I Love San Francisco

Apart from America, I’ve lived between 2-4 years in 5 different nations. I’ve additionally visited over 150 cities worldwide. San Francisco is on my checklist of the highest 5 finest cities on the earth.

Listed below are the the explanation why:

• The climate is gentle year-round, which is nice for exercising outside.
• The town and the encompassing 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.
• Implausible universities akin 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 nicely
• One of the crucial numerous cities on the earth
• One of many least expensive worldwide cities on the earth
• Tons of leisure, like tennis tournaments, entertainers, and artwork exhibits come right here

Why I Dislike San Francisco

After all, no metropolis is ideal. Listed below are some the explanation why I dislike San Francisco:

• Some corrupt metropolis officers
• Authorities waste
• Crime and homelessness
• Excessive value of residing
• Intense hustle tradition in some industries
• Forms in relation to getting issues performed

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 dearth 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 instances earlier than. However what I spotted most lately is that pleasure is among the important 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 lately 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 below are some pictures of who got here to San Francisco for APEC.

Not solely had been world political leaders on the town however so had 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 nicely.

The world’s media was targeted 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 onerous to go away San Francisco when you already know 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 group. Greg Brockton, the President stop, together with a number of senior researchers. Because of this, the board is underneath 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 concentrated on what the heck is occurring in San Francisco with the biggest synthetic intelligence firm on the earth.

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, velocity of improvement 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 instructed Sam he was being fired and that the information was going out very quickly.” Shortly after, Brockman was instructed 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 came upon concerning the board’s determination identical 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 had 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 might 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 steer a brand new AI challenge. Working for giant tech looks like a disappointment for Altman, however a win for Microsoft to regulate 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 allow?

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 proper place on the proper time. When you possibly can 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 youngsters into college, elevating cash in your firm or fund, beginning a enterprise, and extra. When you’re a useful and comparatively good particular person, you’ll get farther forward than those that aren’t.

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

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

The job you vacated may have been taken by a hungry colleague. Your community will overlook about you as soon as you allow. And the prime property you owned can be scooped up by one other household and never be obtainable for the following 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 purchased as a lot San Francisco actual property as I might 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 might remove my youngsters’s jobs in addition to yours.

Worry Retains Me In San Francisco

With Net 1.0 and a pair of.0 firms, there was a higher risk of getting wealthy by becoming a member of these firms 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 firms 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 Sport 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 considering 10+ years forward as a result of it’s important 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 value $86 billion and largely owned by Microsoft.

Huh?

It doesn’t matter what the OpenAI leaders say, the explanation why the corporate grew to become 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.

One latest instance is Sam Bankman-Fried, his mother and father, and FTX. Regardless of having cash and status, they had been prepared to threat all of it for much more cash and status!

Hearken to all the company communicate you need from AI leaders selling a “innocent know-how” for the higher good of humanity. There can be optimistic advantages from AI for positive.

Nonetheless, there may even be negatives as nicely, together with huge disinformation, fraud, and hundreds of 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.