
The outlook for Bay Area startup space in 2017 - jtbed
https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/10/the-outlook-for-bay-area-startup-space-in-2017/
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jedberg
I still don't understand why software startups get offices today. I don't see
any value in pissing away half my capital enriching a landlord when there are
perfectly good tools out there to collaborate without making everyone come to
the same place every day.

And it's even better for the environment if we don't make everyone commute.

Can you imagine a world where all the software startups go fully remote and
all that prime office space becomes residential? You'd still need the
restaurants and bars and whatnot, but instead of a bunch of office workers
coming in at noon, you'd have a bunch of neighbors who are all taking a break
from their jobs. It would be glorious.

~~~
ENGNR
I know it's buzzwordy but after using it a bit I'm starting to think VR might
really change this.

Instead of losing all of the signals from in person communication, the
accidental bump into's or a glance causing you to notice someone doing
something relevant to you (or vice versa), you can just walk over to someone
else's space and collaborate with them. If they need a period of focus, they
can disconnect from the group space and have a doorbell, but it would also be
easy to rejoin.

And unlike skype you're not always 'on the call', everyone just happens to be
in the same room and if nobody says anything all day it's ok. More to the
point you could even mute people if it's not relevant.

~~~
mahyarm
Why hasn't it happened with video conferencing then?

I once did an 'always on' google hangout with another guy when I was working
on a software project with him. It was remarkably effective substitute for
being in the same room. Key was it was always on and we could speak to each
other when necessary. Nobody does this although in the companies I have worked
in.

Also many meeting spaces have microphone quality issues, and it can be hard to
hear people in the other meeting room as they have conversations with each
other.

Culturally I think it will be hard to pull off, virtue of video conferencing
not being used in the same way today.

~~~
rubicon33
I've worked remotely at a few companies, some of which were "remote first" and
some of which weren't.

I'm always surprised by the fact that more companies don't adopt the "always
on" google hangout. It's literally in the name of the service, "hangout" yet
people use it like a traditional conferencing tool.

If more people adopted it as a ROOM that you all worked in, I have a feeling
many of the remote nay sayers would at least feel a little bit better about
things.

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rubicon33
>> "Will SF still be as appealing when the talent can’t afford to be here?"

If you're living responsibly, and saving like you should be, then I'd argue
we're already at a point where talent can't afford to be there.

>> "Transportation is a major factor around where buildings are being built.
It has to be unprecedented with how many more people are coming downtown and
we basically have the same transportation system from 50 years ago, and
similar levels of parking."

Call me cynical, but my faith that this city will, let alone state, will ever
pull their shit together and build public infrastructure, is nonexistent.

~~~
JimboOmega
I wonder what it would take to really kill the golden goose, so to speak - to
really drive away the startups. Every year I hear how place X is the new
startup mecca and it's so much cheaper and has all these advantages, and it
doesn't happen.

Some people would argue it's basically impossible for the city to kill the
industry (if they are even vaguely reasonable); others argue it's already
dead.

I don't know, myself.

~~~
closeparen
I think there'd be overwhelming support among the voters of San Francisco,
Palo Alto, Mountain View, etc. to establish border controls, with "proof of
residency before 19XX" and "proof that you are not employed in tech" as
conditions of entry.

As far as tactics that might survive Supreme Court challenge, I could see SF's
affordable housing program ramping up to 100% of units. The city could then
apply those tests for eligibility in the program, in addition to the income
ceiling it already uses. The city is already a command economy; state
allocation of apartments according to the community's values (i.e. make life
hell for tech workers at all costs) is a natural next step.

Seattle, Portland, Boulder, and New York might just do the same.

I will not be surprised to see the end of freedom of movement in the United
States within my lifetime. The cities that are attracting migration _do not
want more people_. There is widespread support, both among the greedy (who
don't want their views and neighorhood character ruined) and bleeding hearts
(who don't want the urban poor to suffer from gentrification) that
urbanization needs to be stopped.

Maybe someone with a ton of money to spare (Apple?) will start a new city. Or
maybe somewhere which is not so attached to its current state (Detroit?) will
let us in.

~~~
umanwizard
Seattle, Portland, and Boulder maybe, but I absolutely guarantee New York will
never do this.

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overcast
Spending that much on rent for a starting company, is just completely
ludicrous.

~~~
api
I've said for a long time that if investors insist on only funding Bay Area
companies they should just skip the middleman and cut checks directly to real
estate owners and speculators.

~~~
alarge
To be a little pedantic here, the numbers quoted here are San Francisco
numbers, not "Bay Area" numbers. With just a quick check, I found considerably
cheaper commercial lease rates in Mountain View.

~~~
jtbed
You are totally right. It was heavily focused on SF. there are great options
outside of SF, but all along the Caltrain stops there is really expensive
space because they are more accessible. Castro Street in MV can be very
expensive. It matters a lot where the founding team lives and also where you
want to recruit from and at what scale. there is a ton of talent in SV as well
as East Bay to pull from. Good luck on your startup! thanks so much for your
comment.

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flippyhead
You could always move to Seattle!

~~~
sharkweek
I'm pretty sure we're headed the same direction up here

~~~
umanwizard
Not even remotely close. I have lived in both Seattle and NYC and the
difference in rent cost between the two places makes you feel like you are in
totally different countries at dramatically different levels of development.

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anxrn
The article primarily discusses SF, and not the Bay Area. The economics are
likely very different in the South/East Bay.

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beatpanda
All I want is for everyone who complains on Hacker News about living in San
Francisco or in the Bay Area to be able to live wherever their heart desires
and keep their jobs. I think that would fix everything. Can we all resolve to
make that happen? Please?

~~~
bdcravens
> able to live wherever their heart desires

This may be SF/Bay for those complaining. They feel they "deserve" for it to
be cheaper.

