I don’t think using “optics” as a reason to shift away from the Bay is great. Many of the critiques you seem to be gesturing at would still ham away at EA regardless (potentially because it’s an easy narrative to pick on or because it’s easy to associate the movement’s funding with Silicon Valley).
I also think using the association between EA and Oxford Uni seems counterintuitive to me; people seem to often associate Oxford with “elitism”.
I also think using the association between EA and Oxford Uni seems counterintuitive to me; people seem to often associate Oxford with “elitism”.
Agree with this, and this could be further hurt by focusing too much on the areas with more elite universities on the East Coast (of course I am in favor of recruiting from them to a large extent, but shifting the community is a different question). Right now I think the Silicon Valley and Oxford hubs balance each other out well on this dimension.
One aspect of Silicon Valley culture I really like relative to East Coast is that people care very little whether you went to Harvard or dropped out of high school, and they don’t care at all that I prefer to wear t-shirts and shorts every day because it’s much more comfortable for me. To a larger extent than other places, I feel like Silicon Valley culture judges me on what I actually get done.
fwiw, this is super important to me too (I wear whatever I want, which is hardly ever remotely “professional”) and I’ve never felt out of place or judged when at a Boston EA, Harvard EA, or EA NYC event
Great to hear! I haven’t interacted much with the EA communities on the east coast, I was mainly speaking about my experience with the culture overall (e.g., interning at non-EA companies near DC vs. in the Bay Area)
I think it’s more that there’s a lot of criticism that’s really about Silicone Valley culture, and if EA is less centered there, less of that culture will seep in.
I don’t think using “optics” as a reason to shift away from the Bay is great. Many of the critiques you seem to be gesturing at would still ham away at EA regardless (potentially because it’s an easy narrative to pick on or because it’s easy to associate the movement’s funding with Silicon Valley).
I also think using the association between EA and Oxford Uni seems counterintuitive to me; people seem to often associate Oxford with “elitism”.
Agree with this, and this could be further hurt by focusing too much on the areas with more elite universities on the East Coast (of course I am in favor of recruiting from them to a large extent, but shifting the community is a different question). Right now I think the Silicon Valley and Oxford hubs balance each other out well on this dimension.
One aspect of Silicon Valley culture I really like relative to East Coast is that people care very little whether you went to Harvard or dropped out of high school, and they don’t care at all that I prefer to wear t-shirts and shorts every day because it’s much more comfortable for me. To a larger extent than other places, I feel like Silicon Valley culture judges me on what I actually get done.
Coming from a culture that places no emphasis on work attire whatsoever, I agree this is important :)
fwiw, this is super important to me too (I wear whatever I want, which is hardly ever remotely “professional”) and I’ve never felt out of place or judged when at a Boston EA, Harvard EA, or EA NYC event
Great to hear! I haven’t interacted much with the EA communities on the east coast, I was mainly speaking about my experience with the culture overall (e.g., interning at non-EA companies near DC vs. in the Bay Area)
I think it’s more that there’s a lot of criticism that’s really about Silicone Valley culture, and if EA is less centered there, less of that culture will seep in.