The talent was never the problem. Engineers from the region have staffed Western companies for two decades. What changed is that they no longer have to move to do it.
Remote work let a developer in Sarajevo or Novi Sad earn close to a Western wage at a fraction of the cost. The brain drain slowed because leaving stopped being the only option.
For local founders this is double-edged. The engineers they want to hire can now command global rates from home.
Competing for People Who Can Work Anywhere
When your best candidate can take a remote job from anywhere, you compete on mission and culture, not just money.
Founders who win treat their first ten hires like a product: designed deliberately, not assembled by accident.