Oh boy. Thoughts from someone who's worked extensively east coast, west coast, and now midwest: Insanely cargo-culty with regard to technology and development practices, but 5 years behind. Tall nail gets hammered down. On the west coast, if you're really good, you're a god. On the east coast, people will try to level up to you. In the midwest, you'll get bullied/ostracized. Seriously. With limited decent opportunities, you're seen as an existential threat. Most opportunities pay poorly, and most of the ones that pay decently are awful. Layoffs and corporate instability rampant. Many places think offshoring is a silver bullet (!)