I have a new conspiracy theory on RTO in Big Tech. Much has been said about commercial real estate. But I think getting highly capable people to work hard for you is a difficult problem & something tech executives put a lot of thought into. If you don't pay people enough, someone else will. But if you pay them too much, they'll become financially independent.
Mid six figures is an objectively life-changing amount of money that an engineer would be insane to walk away from & that few companies can match. But because it's contingent on living in places where the "working rich" are on the lower half of the housing market totem pole, housing will always place significant pressure even on an obscene income, and your home will never be quite satisfactory. It keeps you on the treadmill working harder and longer, worrying about the stock price, chasing the next promotion or refresher so that you can afford a little more light, a little more space, a little less commute time. And that's right where they want you. Location independence means people could actually get their fill of "TC" which would make it difficult to keep them sweating over such uninspiring projects.
Mid six figures is an objectively life-changing amount of money that an engineer would be insane to walk away from & that few companies can match. But because it's contingent on living in places where the "working rich" are on the lower half of the housing market totem pole, housing will always place significant pressure even on an obscene income, and your home will never be quite satisfactory. It keeps you on the treadmill working harder and longer, worrying about the stock price, chasing the next promotion or refresher so that you can afford a little more light, a little more space, a little less commute time. And that's right where they want you. Location independence means people could actually get their fill of "TC" which would make it difficult to keep them sweating over such uninspiring projects.