Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In
19 hours ago
- Technology companies struggle to find enough exceptional programmers in the US and advocate for easier immigration.
- Anti-immigration arguments that training more Americans can replace foreign talent ignore the rarity of exceptional ability, which is largely innate and not simply trainable.
- With less than 5% of the world's population, 95% of great programmers are born outside the US, making immigration essential for talent.
- Startups invest extra effort to hire foreign programmers at the same salaries, debunking claims that immigration is driven by wage suppression.
- Exceptional performance in any field inherently requires immigration for a country with a small share of the global population.
- Failure to attract great programmers could lead to the US losing its status as a technology superpower, a mistake that costs nothing to fix.