‘Freedom to walk or run’: Woman explains why she chose San Francisco over Bengaluru

An Indian woman who recently secured an O1 work visa to the US has shared why moving to the US from Bengaluru was the best decision for her. In her now-viral post, she lists some personal and professional development opportunities to explain why she decided to move abroad. Viba Mohan, a product designer, listed four main reasons for making San Francisco her home for the next few years. She stressed that the cultural environment was her main reason and mentioned the “fierce, relentless optimism” she finds in the US.

“I have been commuting between Bangalore and America trying to answer this question for myself. After much thought (and probably too much coffee), I have decided that America will be my new home,” Mohan shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

She begins her post by mentioning two things she loves about the culture in the US. First, she mentions optimism. “Everyone is excited about the possibilities, and if you fail, you just try again! The second is craftsmanship. It's about perfecting your craft, and that spirit is contagious,” she explains.

Another key reason for her move is the feeling of safety, both at work and in public. “It's a relief to work without having to tiptoe around a colleague who is obsessed with you and knows no boundaries. And the freedom to go for a walk or run without having to constantly look over your shoulder?” she explained, adding that living in a safer environment not only brings peace of mind but also increases productivity.

Mohan also spoke about why she decided against the coveted H-1B visa, which is very popular among Indian tech professionals. “The visa game is a nightmare. I knew I wasn't going to be tied down to an H-1B visa or spend a fortune on a master's degree to move here. The O1 visa and the freedom it provides made all of that much easier,” she said.

Finally, she compared the startup scene in Bengaluru and San Francisco and mentioned that the technology sector in Bengaluru is heavily focused on fintech and e-commerce.

“Bangalore has some brilliant minds, no doubt! But the tech scene? It's often all about fintech, last mile, e-commerce – you know, the usual suspects. It's changing, which is great, but the problems I'm most interested in? Those are still being solved in San Francisco,” she added.

Check out her post here:

She ended her X-post by saying that Bangalore will always be the place where her heart will be. “I made the best friends there and learned the most. But for what I want to do, America is the right place right now,” she said.