Many smaller and mid-size companies tend to have more of an ad-hoc process of setting meetings and making decisions than larger firms. In my experience, people who are working from home or in another time-zone tend to miss out on a chance to participate. And if they are on another continent like Asia, their influence becomes even more remote.
That's true and can even be true with larger companies--at least if teams aren't already highly distributed through acquisitions, etc. That said, barring major shifts, it's probably also true that new companies are increasingly going to have to choose between having a nominal HQ in a favored area like SV and being largely distributed or locating somewhere more affordable.
