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I regret selling my startup

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Re: I regret selling my startup

#91

Post by renewiltord »

Gyrantula2 wrote: post #49
renewiltord wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bad for environment. No friends around. Pluses and minuses so it’s not obvious.

The irony... I did this. I cashed out in my 20s, bought a $2m home in the middle of nowhere (that goes a long way out here), and live out my days in my workshop surrounded by singing birds, bees, wildlife, trees and gardens, with views across lakes and plains. And some cosmopolitan wants to tell me, as they cram another million people into gridlocked high-rises in their smoggy grey hellhole, that we in the country ar…

Oh I didn't say it was unpleasant. It's bad for the environment. High CO2 cost, requires interfering with the local ecosystem, poor land use etc. I don't see why this upsets people so much. It's just an honest accounting of the costs. Living inside a US National Park would be both lovely and bad for it.

This sort of trade-off between pleasantness and damage is common. For instance, I like traveling the world and in first class you've got half the seat-density of economy so the environmental cost is massive. But it's really nice and there's no way I'd prefer not to do it. It's just also bad for the environment.

My wife and I just returned from a two-week long vacation in Patagonia. It's a stunning place and you'll be surrounded by unbelievable natural beauty. But the same lovely glaciers I mourned the melting of, I contributed to the melting of by flying there. Both things are true.

Re: I regret selling my startup

#92

Post by csdvrx »

bberenberg wrote: post #71
locallost wrote: post #33

I don't know why people are so negative in the comments or overthinking what the author wanted to say, when it's pretty clear. Running the company is what made him tick, made him feel alive, and ultimately made him happy. He's cashed out, but sitting around thumb twiddling and maintaining the pile of cash might be an ok life, might make some people happy, but it's not making him happy. There's nothing wrong with any…

Maybe this needs an update to the post. I am happy. My life is amazing in terms of health, fitness, diet, family life, where I live, travel etc. But I am also without a driving force. It gives me a new appreciation for the athletes or musician who un-retires.

> But I am also without a driving force. It gives me a new appreciation for the athletes or musician who un-retires.

I have a friend who phrased that very well: the problem is "you're waiting for death" because a life without a "driving force" is just waiting for death, as it will eventually do its part.

> I am happy. My life is amazing in terms of health, fitness, diet, family life, where I live, travel etc.

Waiting can be happy, but it's still waiting. Also, how things are during the wait will change: fitness and health aren't perfect forever, likewise family members aren't immortals

No judgement value is implied: that's what retirees do, and what most people aspire to do, so it shouldn't be so bad.

Yet I believe we as human beings need things to do.

Re: I regret selling my startup

#93

Post by redcobra762 »

satvikpendem wrote: post #46
redcobra762 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh come on, you knew he used the wrong word… This isn’t any better, you know. Some people would see this as patronizing.

I appreciate the correction, helps me learn something new.

You didn’t know that horde and hoard were different words?

Re: I regret selling my startup

#94

Post by csdvrx »

s1artibartfast wrote: post #90
yieldcrv wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and I never understood people that want a forever company. Never get married to a position. The shares I purchase in my brokerage account and the shares I make up on a sheet of paper are treated the same to me. Why make your identity around running a company. Sell the company and live life. My quickest creation and flip was 3 months and went to party for the next 12. Why not do that

Maybe it's one of those things that is easy to explain but hard to understand if you don't have experiential context. Some people find activities and experiences fulfilling in a non fungible way. That makes them feel alive, more themselves, and more fulfilled than without them. Loving ones job is a powerful source of happiness that's hard to replace, once you've had a taste of it. I can make you smile when you get up…

> Maybe it's one of those things that is easy to explain but hard to understand if you don't have experiential context.

Maybe use the word "Ikigai"?

It seems to carries the concept very well across cultures. It's doing what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai

A friend told me a life without Ikigai is a life spent waiting for death.

It's an extreme position, because it can just be more opportunities for change/growth/discovery (as someone else posted, why tie in identity?).

Also many people seem to lack Ikigai but still be happy.

Yet the concept resonated with me.

> It can be a way to live life, not an alternative to it

You seem to have explored what life is without Ikigai. Could you share your thoughts?

Re: I regret selling my startup

#95

Post by IggleSniggle »

uticus wrote: post #82
neilv wrote: post #17

> What you don't know is that when you have a pile of money, you turn into a dragon. The goal becomes to sit on the pile of money and make sure it doesn't get smaller, and ideally grows on its own. Is this universal? If I had at least a several-million post-tax windfall, I think I'd buy a nice home and maybe a little beach house, put the rest in index funds, and spend my time being healthy, and building particular op…

> Is this universal? You tell me, we live in the same world. Humans universally have serious issues with greed, selfishness, and all manner of other ugly things. We are not basically good, we are basically evil. A twisted man has a sort of twisted Midas touch, so that even if he has natural abilities in managing wealth things become tainted. He may even realize he's a dragon (speaking as a fellow twisted man). C.S. L…

> The problem isn't wealth, it is our hearts.

That sounds like the dragon, seeking to deflect blame away from the treasure hoard it is protecting, if only for itself.

Re: I regret selling my startup

#96

Post by satvikpendem »

redcobra762 wrote: post #93
satvikpendem wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate the correction, helps me learn something new.

You didn’t know that horde and hoard were different words?

I did, doesn't mean people don't make mistakes or sometimes use words incorrectly.

Re: I regret selling my startup

#97

Post by [deleted] »

com2kid wrote: post #52
olivermuty wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you need substantially more than 80k to live if your house is paid down in cash? Earning 200k is usually about spending half of your net income on mortgages etc. Not that 80k is the lifestyle of a king, but it is plenty to get by with if all you are buying is insurance, food and entertainment.

We are talking early retirement here, so presumably young enough to still have a family. Daycare in my area is ~2400 a month (not the super fancy daycares either, they are over 3k a month). If you want to fully fund a 529 college fund, that is 30k a year for 15 years[1]. So right off the bat we have 50k a year in expenses for having a single kid, not counting feeding them and other activities. If you choose public sc…

[deleted]

Re: I regret selling my startup

#98

Post by neilk »

neilv wrote: post #17

> What you don't know is that when you have a pile of money, you turn into a dragon. The goal becomes to sit on the pile of money and make sure it doesn't get smaller, and ideally grows on its own. Is this universal? If I had at least a several-million post-tax windfall, I think I'd buy a nice home and maybe a little beach house, put the rest in index funds, and spend my time being healthy, and building particular op…

Like any engineer, I know more than a few instant-millionaires.

The ones who were capable of being happy before money continue to be capable of being happy. They had sources of self-worth outside of money, social connections outside the office or hanging with their startup bros, and interests that are intrinsically satisfying even if they are not profitable.

You don't need all of the above, but you do need at least one. The ones who don't have any of the above will go to dark places.

Re: I regret selling my startup

#100

Post by gcheong »

Gyrantula2 wrote: post #49
renewiltord wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bad for environment. No friends around. Pluses and minuses so it’s not obvious.

The irony... I did this. I cashed out in my 20s, bought a $2m home in the middle of nowhere (that goes a long way out here), and live out my days in my workshop surrounded by singing birds, bees, wildlife, trees and gardens, with views across lakes and plains. And some cosmopolitan wants to tell me, as they cram another million people into gridlocked high-rises in their smoggy grey hellhole, that we in the country ar…

Was that 2m mostly house or mostly land? I think if I were to go that route I’d be looking for more land than house.
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