True- but it worked out well and was cheaper and far more comfortable than trying to live in a tiny shared space in Boston.
And now I live in semi-rural Minnesota.
Sean K Reynolds on working at Paizo (and other companies)
And now I live in semi-rural Minnesota.
It's either that or start your own company, which is what a lot of ex-WotC employees graduate to. I went in on the latter from the outset, and it took a long time, but it worked.
GreyLord
Legend
A thing that I ponder about regarding companies like Paizo (and others) that are set up shop in the Seattle area...why?
It is a very costly area to have a small company (both in Taxes and building costs, and your employees will have a hard time finding a place to live due to the lack of affordable housing).
The initial costs may be expensive to move, but after a few years, at the same profit margins, it would seem much cheaper to move some place like Nowhere, Nebraska (or some other area). Costs overall would be cheaper for supplies and building costs, housing would be FAR more affordable for employees and what you offer them in Seattle could be seen as a wage that one could at least subsist on (though probably not be comfortable in many instances).
Why do they stay in area which are so expensive for their operations and their employees?
It is a very costly area to have a small company (both in Taxes and building costs, and your employees will have a hard time finding a place to live due to the lack of affordable housing).
The initial costs may be expensive to move, but after a few years, at the same profit margins, it would seem much cheaper to move some place like Nowhere, Nebraska (or some other area). Costs overall would be cheaper for supplies and building costs, housing would be FAR more affordable for employees and what you offer them in Seattle could be seen as a wage that one could at least subsist on (though probably not be comfortable in many instances).
Why do they stay in area which are so expensive for their operations and their employees?
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
No kiddin? Im in mpls.True- but it worked out well and was cheaper and far more comfortable than trying to live in a tiny shared space in Boston.
And now I live in semi-rural Minnesota.
Scribe
Legend
I dont know how friendly they are to Remote Workers, but I would imagine that when Paizo got off the ground, it wasnt really a thing.
Maybe the potential employees are already in Seattle and there is nobody to hire with the skillset they need in Nowhere, Nebraska?
I understand your point and ultimately workers would be better off financially operating somewhere else but... the same reasoning apply to any field and yet... the film industry is strong in Hollywood and they don't seem to all relocate to Nowhere either (even if they can pay better it would also for them be less expansive to move)?
Keeping on Scribe's idea of remote working... maybe it's a field the pandemic-imposed shift to teleworking will help. No more vacuuming problem and salary problem if you can do 100% remote work (presumably in the same timezone). I don't know if it would be practical for rpg editing and designing.
I understand your point and ultimately workers would be better off financially operating somewhere else but... the same reasoning apply to any field and yet... the film industry is strong in Hollywood and they don't seem to all relocate to Nowhere either (even if they can pay better it would also for them be less expansive to move)?
Keeping on Scribe's idea of remote working... maybe it's a field the pandemic-imposed shift to teleworking will help. No more vacuuming problem and salary problem if you can do 100% remote work (presumably in the same timezone). I don't know if it would be practical for rpg editing and designing.
Paizo are near 15 to 20 years old; remote working even in high tech companies would have only been starting and not been a popular option back then. For an industry that was almost entirely about book products back then, I'd bet work from home and remoting wasn't even on the radar.
Plus, internet connections wouldn't have been able to handle or sustain it; plus the services required, etc. etc.
A LOT has changed even compared to 2015; if Coronavirus had hit back then, arguably the economic, health and social situation in many palces would be worst as working from home would have been much more difficult. In 2010? We'd have beein a much, much worse situation.
Plus, internet connections wouldn't have been able to handle or sustain it; plus the services required, etc. etc.
A LOT has changed even compared to 2015; if Coronavirus had hit back then, arguably the economic, health and social situation in many palces would be worst as working from home would have been much more difficult. In 2010? We'd have beein a much, much worse situation.
Wizards started in Seattle (well, Renton) because that's where Peter Adkison lived. I believe he worked at Boeing before doing Wizards full time.
Paizo is in Seattle because it was founded by Lisa Stevens and Vic Wertz, who made out like bandits when Wizards was sold to Hasbro. And since that's where they lived, that's where they started their company when Wizards wanted to outsource their magazine business. And I assume they remain in Seattle because the owners like it there, and since it's not publically traded there's no outside pressure to move. It does however seem that one of the things the union wants to sort out is to make it possible to telecommute on a permanent basis, so you could live somewhere with less ridiculous costs of living and still work at Paizo.
Scribe
Legend
Probably. I'm in IT, and have been remote for a long time, but I acknowledge that it's not for everyone.
billd91
Not your screen monkey (he/him)
Same reason so many tech companies are in the Bay Area despite the ferocious costs - personal networking and amenities. It's a lot easier to job-hop if you live/work among corporations looking for similar skill sets and have colleagues at multiple companies. And living in Nowheresville, Great Plains/Rustbelt, even if you were allowed to work remotely, is attractive to whom now? Sure, the cost of living is a lot cheaper but you get what you pay for. The bigger urban centers of the coasts are a lot more attractive for a lot of people because there's more to do that's interesting and stimulating, more diversity in places to go and restaurants to eat at, more interesting things happen, and generally less frigid winters. And, in part because they're so attractive, they tend to cost more.
