Twice in the last four years, I've had serious offers to relocate Intelligent Operations to San Francisco. Good money, good networks, good opportunities. I turned both down. Here's why — and it's not sentimentality.
The Math
San Francisco studio space costs 4-5x what I pay in Kansas City. My team's cost of living would double. My production costs would increase by roughly 40% due to higher crew rates, permit costs, and location fees. None of those increases would translate to better work — just more expensive work.
Meanwhile, my clients are everywhere. In 2025, 60% of Intelligent Operations's revenue came from clients outside Kansas City. They don't care where I'm based. They care about the work.
The Market Advantage
Being the best creative production house in Kansas City means something different than being one of 500 in San Francisco. Here, I'm a big fish in a growing pond. The KC startup ecosystem is exploding — and the founders here are building real companies, not chasing vanity metrics. They need creative partners who understand what it means to build something with limited resources. That's exactly what Intelligent Operations does.
The Meaning
The deepest reason is simple: I believe you can build world-class creative work from anywhere. If that's true, then staying in Kansas City isn't a compromise — it's a proof point. Every great project we deliver from KC makes the argument that geography doesn't determine quality. And that argument is worth making.