Hacker News Reader

Comment by billy99k | Hacker News Reader

I will second this. I work for an American company that now routinely outsources to Eastern Europe. Wages are 1/3, most speak English fluently, and the time zone differences aren't really that big of an issue.

It's much different than my experiences outsourcing to Asia around a decade ago. Many pushed for remote work, and the consequence might just be that they are out of a job.

View on HN

Yes. Step 1 of remote is “are you really better than someone in Indiana with an $800 mortgage payment?” Step 2 is “And are you really better than the European Phd at half that cost?”

My Indiana mortgage payment is $500, thank you very much.

Haha I had one around there too. Indiana life is good life.

Unless you need an abortion.

Step 3 is “European PHD, if you’re really so good why are you half the cost?”

Step 4 is “European PHD is not as good as we thought, we need to start over."

And the answer being "the limited number of local companies paying high wages and the limited number of American companies willing to hire someone in Eastern Europe reducing my leverage."

because in Europe his local salary is at a tenth of the US offered. knowing that, you can say his actually the five times premium.

For a similar reason why a person pressing a button to pour coffee in Starbucks on Manhattan gets 10x more than a person pressing a button to pour coffee in Starbucks in São Paulo.

With so much wealth in America, do you really think life is going to be better for you when you're competing against everyone in the world? Sure, I bet the people in Indiana, or India are happy, but your SF salary is going to be demolished, and your local community is going to death spiral as to the wealth evaporates.

Not really. Employers that know what they’re buying will spend the money.

I recently was told to discuss things with a team in Serbia. Knowing not enough about the world, I expected it to be painful. I was blown away that they spoke English more properly and more clearly than a good portion of Americans even. And it felt more natural, not like the Britishesque English you tend to hear from India.

If it weren't for the time zone, I'd have really questioned my near term job prospects.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com