HN Explorer

Ask HN: Could Hawaii, Maui in particular, support a thriving tech sector?

10 points by rblion ↗ HN
Just curious to hear your thoughts. I live here and work remotely. I am working on some projects but my mind is drifting to bigger questions as I look at world events and how it's affecting life on Maui.

11 comments

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RNeff
Surf's up. Time to hit the beach. I'll work on my tech stuff after lunch. Now I am too tired. Take a nap. Back to the bar on the beach to eat, drink, watch the tourists in tiny swim suits. What glorious weather!
holler
that's so true. I'm a very warm-weather person and so if I'm in that environment, it can be very difficult to focus because of the temptation to go to the beach, swim, exercise, play, etc.

living in the PNW feels like it's more conducive to work, but I frequently long for the beach

_ah
Spot on. I visited Hawaii for a couple of weeks and it completely destroyed my motivation. Didn't even know that was possible. I was so relaxed, just enjoying life. I remember being stuck behind a slow driver on the freeway, not caring at all, when I was struck by the thought "I must never move here. I'll never get anything done."
holler
I don't know but I'll be the first on the plane either way! I was in Oahu for two weeks at the end of January, just before the Pandemic hit the mainland. It was amazing.

What's it like living there?

davecahill
It's like a permanent vacation. We're all just out here sipping Mai Tais, shaking our hips, and catching waves.
giantg2
I doubt it would be the best choice.

Being so far from population centers can be a downside, especially when the real estate and cost of living is expensive. Things like local talent pool, latency due to geographic location, and business travel being more expensive can be an issue.

With the pandemic causing more companies to allow permanent remote work, I think existing tech facilities would be a cheaper option.

freid
Could it be helpful that it is closer to China?
giantg2
I don't see why that would be a bonus. You could actually be in China with a lower cost of living and bigger talent pool that speaks the language, assuming the goal is China-centric tech. If it's not specific to China, then opening a small branch office there should be specific. There are also a variety of regulatory and IP issues when working with China which might influence being in country vs out, but none of that should influence the decision to build a tech scene in HI.
muzani
There's plenty of other "close to China" US-friendly places too, like Singapore, which is also a tech hub. Or the other SE Asian islands if you want something exotic, cheap, and English-speaking.
one2know
There were some game studios but they have closed. Konami and Square Enix. It would be very bad for employees. You would have 1 or two employers, then if you needed to leave you have to move to the mainland which is probably very expensive. Very easy to become homeless too if you are not rich as well because it is very expensive.

Hawaii is remote. 2000 miles away. You need a full day to travel to the mainland one way. If all you need is good weather and beaches then there is San Diego and Florida which are much easier.

kleer001
No. Land is too expensive and too rare. Maui can't support a thriving anything. Thriving as in growing. Sure, people there can be happy and productive, but there's no potential for a expansive infrastructure or population.