A remote startup CEO says living outside major tech hubs helps reduce distraction and FOMO, while still valuing selective in-person networking.
A founder’s address choice can be more than lifestyle, especially when a fast-growing startup needs uninterrupted focus.
Jason Grad. CEO of remote web infrastructure startup Massive. argues that living away from major tech hubs has helped him keep his attention on growth instead of the constant social and event cycle that comes with big-city startup life.. His setup is decidedly mixed: based in Prague. he spends part of his time in New York and San Francisco. typically after intervals of a few months.. In his view. the closer you are to the perpetual flow of meetings and happenings. the harder it becomes to separate the signal from the noise.
The “why” here matters for anyone watching how startup teams manage attention as companies scale: attention is a scarce resource, and where leaders live can shape how often work competes with FOMO.
Massive is a small team by headcount. providing web access infrastructure for AI agents. large language models. and data pipelines that need to reach the public web in real time.. Grad describes the company’s remote model as a recruiting advantage. saying it removes geographic bias and expands the talent pool beyond what any single city can offer.. That wider reach, combined with a culture that is already distributed, reduces the need to relocate for opportunity.
When he is in large hubs. Grad says he socializes and attends events more often than when he is based in Prague.. He notes that cities like New York come with a dense calendar. which can make it feel as though socializing is happening nonstop.. By contrast. in the first half of the year. he says he is able to work with more peace and less distraction.
In practical terms, that trade-off helps explain how companies can protect execution speed: reducing the number of decision-heavy moments that aren’t directly tied to product and operations can free time for higher-impact work.
Grad also pushes back on what he sees as a too-binary framing of work culture debates.. He dismisses the relevance of the “996” discussion in his case. emphasizing that founder work patterns vary and that what matters most is finding a structure that supports both the team and the company’s goals.. He describes his own routine as starting early. using dedicated time for work. and then switching to recovery or personal time through activities like running. music. and time with his partner.
Still, he doesn’t argue that big cities are inherently worse for everyone.. He describes the appeal of in-person proximity as a source of serendipity. where informal encounters can turn into relationships. partnerships. or future opportunities.. He previously hosted a high volume of gatherings in New York. building a network through events of different sizes. and he understands why others do the same.
For readers, the underlying takeaway is not that hubs should be avoided, but that there may be a point where a founder’s best lever becomes protecting focus rather than continuously expanding a social orbit.
Once Massive reached a certain stage. Grad says it made more sense for him to prioritize concentration over ongoing event-led networking.. In his framing. the decision is personal and situational: if in-person networking serves a founder’s needs. then pursuing it is reasonable; if a quieter base better supports the kind of laser focus required to build and scale. then that also has a clear logic.