In 2010, software mogul Larry Ellison sued his San Francisco neighbors over trees that offered them privacy but blocked Mr. Ellison's view of San Francisco Bay from his four-level house.

WSJ: What's a View Worth?

Ho decided to move FiveStars from Mountain View to San Francisco because he thought the City by the Bay was going to be a better place to be for the kind of talent he wants to hire.

FORBES: Why FiveStars Moved From Silicon Valley to San Francisco