The Vibe
Austin used to be the secret: cheap, weird, growing, with a friendly ratio and a real local culture. That Austin is mostly gone. What's left is a city twice the size it was fifteen years ago, with a tech-transplant wave that measurably slid the ratio against you. The market is harder than it was. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something.
Here's the part that should make you stand up straight. Most of those transplant guys still dress like they're at Google and flirt by saying "we're hiring." That's your competition. The man who looks like he lives in Texas, suggests an actual plan after three good messages, and can talk about something other than his startup is visible here, because he's rare. You don't have to be a local. You have to show up like you've shown up.
What Works Here
Move on logistics, slow on everything else. Pick East Austin, SoCo, or Clarksville, not 6th Street, not the Domain unless you're both north-side people. Lean on the outdoors, because it's genuine here: Lady Bird Lake, Barton Springs, the Greenbelt. A 75-degree daytime walk is a near-perfect first date. And take the weeknight slot. Tuesday at 7 at a wine bar has a lower flake rate than Saturday at 9 in a packed Rainey bar, because the weekend is when everyone has options.