How different would Pakistani tech market be if we didn't have access to the US?

It always struck me as odd that in Universities our talent learns operating systems, databases, C++, low-latency programming, and then graduates to do more MERN stack work. The answer I had was, well that's just easy money. But why is there easy money?

The Iran War brought it clear in view. Iran does not have access to the US market or developed markets in general. Developed markets pay a lot for even mundane work. $50 for a logo design is good income, all you need is 10 logos per month and you've made $500, enough for a family in a second-tier city.

Our tech 'entrepreneurs' realised it too and leveraged "Labour Arbitrage". You hire an engineer for $10K/mo in US, we give you one as good at $3K/mo, and we pay the engineer 150K PKR/mo. Checks out. Good margins, easy business case. Or it costs you $100K to build an MVP in the US, we make you one for $10K or less. Same story.

Iran didn't have that choice. They were forced to actually innovate. Had to set up manufacturing bases themselves. Had to develop their own foundational software for key industries or they were compromised. Their clients -- China, Russia, North Korea etc. -- were countries in similar boats. Not very well off, the customer was stringent and demanded only the highest caliber products. Hence the Shahed drone.

There's an Iranian first-copy market in Rawalpindi that has smuggled electronics from Iran. The quality is unmatched.

If the sanctions are ever lifted, these people are primed for real wealth. Not money. Wealth. They already have what the world wants. We had what the world reluctantly accepted.

Perhaps the right question to ask as a Pakistani entrepreneur is:

What business could I build if the US market didn't exist?