In 2026, the 'best place' isn't a physical city like SF anymore, but the jurisdiction that offers the best AI-compute subsidies and clear data privacy frameworks. We’re seeing a massive shift toward 'distributed hubs' in places that prioritize NPU-native infrastructure. If you're building hardware-adjacent software, look where the energy is cheap and the AI regulations are stable. The physical location is becoming secondary to the digital infrastructure you're plugged into

China if its not politically sensitive. Singapore otherwise.

Overall probably still SV. But depending on the circumstances China, Singapore, Dubai are all good. The physical location matters so little from a business perspective now though. So I think it's actually more of a lifestyle choice vs a business one.