Family vs. Professional Networks

Sam Parr and Shaan Puri discuss the concept of life as a series of network decisions, particularly focusing on the trade-offs between family networks and professional networks when choosing where to live.

Key Points:

• Moving for Taxes Is Foolish

  • Sam believes moving somewhere primarily for tax benefits is a foolish decision
  • "The goal of succeeding is to do what you want, not to have to move to Puerto Rico"
  • Only move somewhere if you genuinely want to live there, not just for tax advantages

• Life as Network Decisions

  • Every major life decision can be viewed as either joining or leaving a network
  • College choice is joining an alumni network (like Duke) that leads to certain career paths
  • Where you live determines which professional networks you access
  • Even skills you learn connect you to networks of people with similar skills

• Sam's Personal Trade-off

  • Sam moved away from San Francisco primarily for family reasons
  • "If family weren't a thing, it would either be in SF or a suburb like twenty minutes away"
  • He doesn't regret the move but acknowledges the professional cost

• Network Density Trade-offs

  • Sam opted into greater "density" in his family network
  • But simultaneously opted out of the San Francisco tech network
  • This creates both benefits and opportunity costs

• Shaan's Perspective

  • Moved 45 minutes outside San Francisco, which "reduced a lot of the serendipitous meetings"
  • Recognizes the value of being physically close to "interesting ambitious people"
  • Acknowledges that isolating yourself can be "fun for creativity" but potentially "foolish" for career opportunities

• Network Examples Beyond Location

  • Language is a network (learning English in China changes your life trajectory)
  • Money systems are networks (joining Bitcoin early was valuable)
  • Professional connections create opportunity networks (turning down meetings with founders like Travis from Uber can be costly)