Since when...
Did startups import developers? I though they all used India / Romania.
Also, in a world where remote working is extremely possible (and has been forever) why would you need your developers to be in the same country?
I'd find it more appealling if I could stay where I am rather than go to another country to write software.
Ive worked for American firms before and I understand the "running around a building looking flustered to appear busy" culture over there, but come on, it had to die at some point.
You'll have to actually produce results now.
I worked for a US based auction house in their base in London and my god, it always felt incredibly busy and stressful but not a lot was actually happening.
The vast majority of people held positions that required very little work but carried fancy titles like VP of Facilities Procurement. Bathroom Strategy Executive etc.
As one of very few Brits in the firm, I found it hilarious.
They paid very well, my salary and benefits were incredibly generous, but my word are Americans up their own arse.
I've never seen such rampant nepotism as well. We think it's bad in the UK, but Jesus Christ is it bad in the US.
At least over here if daddy gets you a job you still have to produce something and participate.
In this firm, they got a title, a desk, a phone, a laptop, your own PC and various other very expensive bits but they weren't really expected to do anything. Granted they weren't being paid, they were "interned" but by the time they'd sat around for two years they could claim to have experience in their alloted job title.
"Yeah I was VP of X at Y prestigious firm for 2 years".
They would legit move on to other firms to grab the same title on the back of zero actual experience. Most of them would end up back at their original desk within 6 months because they were fundamentally useless, but they'd a promotion and run the cycle again.
Wash, rinse, repeat up the pole. Hoovering up free money each time they went. Amassing small fortunes for nothing.
Absurd.