I am done. I give up

First, note that 9 out of 10 startups fail.

I'm sorry you tried three times unsuccessfully - I'm sure you have learned a lot. Perhaps you would agree with me that the first attempt wasn't based on a lot of knowledge compared with the last; so maybe we discount that early one. Then trying for another 8 time would put you in a position where you can say "it doesn't work, I've done it all by the book".

Now it is your right to stop. I would rather you stopped than have you get sick (again). But analysis your post suggests that you may potentially confuse "start up" and "indy developer", at least you use the terms rather interchangeably. That's not at all the same thing! For a startup, you need a team. An indy developer (freelancer) is a solo play, where you would be very unlikely to be impactful in comparison, even if you tried 30 times.

Watching influencers is a waste of time. What I have observed is that people driven by their hunger for success more quickly burn out. You need to best pursue something that intrinsically passionate about, then you may never get tired. Anyone coding, writing a story or even sleeping uses their time better than watching influencers, IMHO.

>!Without the state to at least enforce laws, enforce property rights, and physically protect you, there wouldn't even be any wealth creation.

This is the kind of minimalist state that libertarians would agree to. People talk about robbery when the state is spending money on arbitrary things.

Before I jump in, I hope this opening up has helped you. You're not alone. You took the road less travelled. That isn't easy. God bless you.

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> "But it's not just the lack of success that's getting me down. It's also the constant stream of digital nomad influencers on Twitter who sell extremely distorted, rosy, and often times false dreams to indie entrepreneurs like myself. They make it seem like building a successful startup is easy and anyone can do it with the right mindset and a few key tips. But the reality is that it's not that simple. It's fucking hard and it takes more than just a positive attitude to make it."

I know you said you're done. But for anyone else still looking, there's a market right there. Well, the opposite actually. That is, be a no BS social media "influencer." Tell it like it really is. Call out the snake oil sellers and the liars. Be honest. Be transparent. Share to help, not to deceive.

Because: "I know I'm not alone in feeling this way."

All the problems you listed as US-specific problems exist in my corner of Europe too, except gun violence. And on top of that we have fewer jobs, lower salaries, higher taxes and high unemployment.

I love Europe: its history, its music, its art, its architecture, its legacy - yes! the good and the bad -, its food, its cultures. But from my point of view we are killing ourselves, choked in an endless decay, metastasizing bureaucracy, and never-ending hopelessness.

I'm sure the Nordic Country are happy though, and that's the problem: American tend to compare the worst of their country with the best of our continent.

Most wealthy Americans were never paying 96% in taxes, if any at all. There were many more loopholes during this time.

People are forgetting that the high tax countries are enjoying the fruits of lower-tax countries labor.

Technology and drugs are the big ones. Big, evil companies create life-saving drugs and generics are created and sold for pennies to these countries.

With no incentive to create (ie: large profits), humans will definitely not advance.

Money is also freedom. The less we are able to keep, the less free we become (and more dependent on the government/state).