zlacker

> Are they? These salaries are much lower than most tech competitors.

That really depends on the location these people are working from. In most of the world, those are insanely high salaries.

A company like this doesn't need to be based in SV.

>>waffle+(OP)
I tended to agree with your sentiment. But the reality is that for some unknown reason to me, it's companies from SV the ones that get famous and used globally.

Why didn't this start from say Mexico? Or Singapore or Vietnam? Or at least Germany which has a good record of freedom conscious tech scene .

My bet is in something related to the "maslow pyramid": people in SV have so much money that have everything solved in their lives, so they have the luxury of spending their time in this sort of problems.

>>xtract+MF
Many messengers companies started outside of SV,

• Telegram - Founded: Russia, Headquartered: Dubai, Users: 500M+

• WeChat - Founded: China, Headquartered: Shenzhen, Users: 1.2B+

• LINE - Founded: Japan, Headquartered: Tokyo, Users: 84M (Japan)

• Viber - Founded: Israel, Headquartered: Luxembourg, Users: 1B+

• KakaoTalk - Founded: South Korea, Headquartered: Jeju City, Users: 52M+

• Zalo - Founded: Vietnam, Headquartered: Ho Chi Minh City, Users: 100M+

• ICQ - Founded: Israel, Headquartered: Cyprus, used to have big market share

• Skype - Founded: Estonia, Headquartered: Luxembourg/USA, Users: 40M daily

>>xtract+MF
1. It's a network effect. If you're raised around doctors, go to school with prospective doctors, and your school gets many university recruits from a good doctor college, you will strive to be a doctor more likely than not. SV had a bunch of tech companies and falls into the same kind of environment.

2. It's probably a matter of Venture capitalists. Even if you aren't from SV, you may strive to go there to get funding for a pitch or find talent. Similar to your prospective actor that moves to Hollywood. Go where the crowds are.

Now, we can ponder why SV became a tech hub, but current market forces makes it ripe for tech startups.