Hi. A bit of info about me. I graduated college in 2018 with a Computer Science BS. I ran track and XC all 4 years at a small private school. I'm currently a software developer living in Pittsburgh, PA who is considering moving within the next year or two. I like it a lot here, but I'm looking for a change. The problem is that salary for software developers tends to cap off around $110k - $125k, which doesn't seem to be an issue in a lot of other tech hubs.
My main goals are to:
1) Make as much money as I can while on salary
2) Create a startup (Access to networking, venture capital, test market?)
Which city/metro area would be the most conducive to this? New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, LA? You would think the Bay Area, but the problem I had when I visited is that everyone seems like they're working in tech. There was literally no one else I talked to doing anything besides that. Does Seattle have this problem? I have also heard that Seattle feels a lot like a company town with a few large players (Amazon and Microsoft mostly) dominating the job market. In LA, I'd have to own a car and deal with LA drivers, which would be aggravating. In New York I feel like I wouldn't run into these issues but I may be wrong. What about Boston? I've never been there. My secondary question is access to running talent: What are running groups like in these different areas? I'd like to at least stay in shape as it's good for health and well-being, if not get in better shape. Any thoughts or opinions? I'm planning a visit to LA later this year so we'll see how I like it. Thanks in advance!