I actually prefer London as the AI/ML community is bigger. Kings Cross feels like a proper "tech hub" with Google and Deepmind there. English is the main language, and people are welcoming and risk-taking. Zug/Zurich has better taxes and lifestyle (lake, mountains, food, air quality), but people are more standoffish and it's harder to make friends.
What is really complicating this decision is that I have a weird headache issue : in some places (I did live in Budapest for a while as well as London), I have a low-to-medium-intensity permanent headache. I did keep a daily log and the pattern is really clear. Whenever I am in Budapest or London, the headache shows up after 2 days of being there. Whenever I move elsewhere, it goes away after 1 to 2 weeks. I did have it at other times, especially when travelling but not as intensely. I did have it when travelling to Zug for the first time, but it went away. In Budapest it never went away after 5 months of being there. In London, I don't know as I never stayed for longer than 10 days. I did consult with GPs but the cause is unclear. One doctor said it's maybe a tension-type headache. I did try to do sport, sleep better, eat better. But location seems to be the highest correlation and I'm still very unsure of the cause.
I am the majority shareholder and founder of the trading/research operation, so I have the final word about where to go. What I am wondering is wether that headache issue is bad enough to tip the scale in favor of Zug. Form a business perspective, London is better. But I just don't feel good there. The state of uncertainty that has lasted since 5 months now is hard to bear for the team, so I don't want to take too long to make that decision.
Any tips about how to navigate this choice?
I must say this pattern of headache is a bit unusual. Migraines shouldn't persist for months, and they are the typical type of headache induced by barometric pressure. If you have the means then think about getting an MRI brain. Very rarely there could be something like a vascular malformation which would be worth discovering. There is a risk of unrelated incidental findings however.
Secondly, I'm sorry to hear about your headaches. I suffer from fragrance induced migraines as well as migraines triggered by pressure changes in the atmosphere. Calgary, Canada was terrible for me. I moved to Vancouver, and it's been a game changer.
I have a few questions:
1. What are all the ways your headaches impact your productivity?
2. What are all of the options available to you (other than location)?
Sounds like these need to be full-time cities for you to grow the AI research team. I'm wondering if a rotation could work or some other ways to grow the team without been in London full time. Options could include living outside of London and having the team come to you for their "off-site" a few times a month. I lived in Dorset. It's gorgeous there. Probably too far from London for you, but perhaps there's something workable.
3. What are all of the risks with all of the options available to you?
For example, missing out on talent by not being in a hub like London (an assumption to validate), not forming deep bonds by not being in London full-time (tons of ways to address this), etc. A risk analysis may help bring clarity to your decision.
I help people get unstuck for a living. Hopefully these questions help somewhat.
Basically, why relocate? Hire anywhere!