Missouri, Not Misery
A thing that happens a lot: talented people want to work with us at Permanent Equity. That’s flattering and awesome. A thing that happens next: those same people tell us they don’t want to move to Missouri.
Our answer has gotten simpler over time: if you work here, you live here. I probably believe in it even more than our CEO (and Missouri native) Brent does. After all, I moved here with zero ties; why shouldn’t you?
That might sound petty until you realize the value of place.
Proximity matters. Culture is built by togetherness. Development is accelerated by overheard conversations. Loyalty comes from friendship. Serendipity doesn’t happen on Zoom. We have to lean into what makes us special.
(And spare me the Missouri/misery jokes…it’s not like we’re ESPN and forcing you to live in Bristol, Connecticut.)
That said, there are trade-offs. We pass on talented folks who won’t relocate to a fun college town with a low cost of living and no traffic. Sometimes our offers aren’t taken seriously. We don’t have a Michelin-starred restaurant, an international airport, or even a Trader Joe’s (yet). So yes, we’re narrowing the funnel in a world that celebrates flexibility and reach. But the people on our team are bought in and firing on all cylinders despite (because of?) it.
Permanent Equity is not anti-remote; we’re pro-density. We think being together in an office in mid-Missouri makes us special. Missouri is our moat.
– Tim
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