Ask HN: What's the difference between SF and NY tech work culture?

  • I've been in SF for 6 years now and before that NYC for 5. things might have changed since then but here's the biggest difference I noticed

    NYC a lot of the startups were founded by finance or business people. They saw tech as a some a dozen and not really valued.

    In SF on the other hand most startups seem to be founded by tech side and they value tech a more. There is more care for work life balance here then in NYC.

  • There are a LOT of recent bootcamp grads in SF. If you don't have a hookup, getting noticed may be difficult. Not sure about NYC.

    Recommendation: until you can afford to be choosy, go where you get the most attention in your career search. If you fight to get a single opportunity in one market, you will likely face a similar challenge when it is time to look for the next job in that same market.

  • While there are trends, work culture varies from company to company, and I'm sure you'll find a company in either city with a work culture you will be happy with. The more pressing question is which of these two cities do you want to live in?