11–20 of 197 posts
I still work on it because it was things I purely made for myself, but also put on a store -- and it appears others liked it too so it became a win-win.
> How did you do it?
By not wanting to own anything, living in cheap countries, and finding things that I absolutely love doing that also happen to make some money :)
> What did it feel like when you first realised it was going to be true that you would never have to work again if you didn't want to?
The realization happened a couple of weeks ago and it was incredible. Seriously. It felt like pure, absolute freedom.
> How old were you?
29
> What was it specifically that made the cash that ended up in your pocket?
Nothing, I just realized that if you're young, healthy, and single, you really don't need much cash to be extremely happy, if you choose the right location.
> Do you feel happy in your life?
See above.
Edit: so obviously this is kind of a hack, but I think it's a good one. I'm slowly travelling around the world, spending at least one month in each location (currently in Cape Verde). When I arrive somewhere, I find a place to rent for a month, and then I spend my days hacking on my Mac and visiting.
I'm working on "Of Dust and Dreams", my first indie game, a 3D exploration game with an innovative AI-based dialogue system. I own almost nothing, all my belongings fit in a 30-liter backpack, I'm completely free, and it feels AMAZING. I'm living off my savings, but I have no doubt I could sustain this lifestyle easily by doing some fun small projects on the side.
Yes > How did you do it? By not wanting to own anything, living in cheap countries, and finding things that I absolutely love doing that also happen to make some money :) > What did it feel like when you first realised it was going to be true that you would never have to work again if you didn't want to? The realization happened a couple of weeks ago and it was incredible. Seriously. It felt like pure, absolute freed…
In the long run, the hellish experiences of my 20s are an advantage. I've become stronger. After enough panic attacks (the first sends you to the ER because you don't know what it is, the 101st is irritating and takes 15 minutes out of your day) you stop fretting the petty anxieties that dominate most people. Through adversity, I've traveled from being a socially awkward 22-year-old to someone who can actually fucking lead. It took a lot of pain to get me there.
Age? I'm 31. Everywhere but the Valley, that means I'm still in the game.
No, I'm not happy, but it's not for a lack of money. I make enough. Programmers are underpaid for what we suffer (including subordination to the whims of parasitic, talentless executives 20-75 IQ points below us) but it's the subordinacy and low status and the sheer fucking pointlessness of most of the work that makes it so awful. The money is not great but more than adequate, and I'm not worried about long-term income issues either.
The really interesting thing is how little the windfall of money actually affected my day to day. I still drive the same car, and live in a normal sized home. I guess the difference is that I have zero debt, and a substantial sum of money in an investment account that I am not sure what I will do with. I work at a different company now, and still do the normal 9-5, even though I could take years off work if I wanted to.
I am really happy in life, and I don't attribute it to the money at all. I find it really difficult to explain how your life view changes. The most interesting thing I have observed is that once you have "enough" money, any more than that can just be a burden. What do I do with all this? Why am I paying more in taxes than I used to make? My best advice is to work towards making enough, where you aren't worried about money and are comfortable, and then pursue things that make you happy in life, because a few million won't be it.
Yes > How did you do it? By not wanting to own anything, living in cheap countries, and finding things that I absolutely love doing that also happen to make some money :) > What did it feel like when you first realised it was going to be true that you would never have to work again if you didn't want to? The realization happened a couple of weeks ago and it was incredible. Seriously. It felt like pure, absolute freed…
Yes > How did you do it? By not wanting to own anything, living in cheap countries, and finding things that I absolutely love doing that also happen to make some money :) > What did it feel like when you first realised it was going to be true that you would never have to work again if you didn't want to? The realization happened a couple of weeks ago and it was incredible. Seriously. It felt like pure, absolute freed…
I sold IndexTank to LinkedIn among other things.
It was a gradual process for me that started with the first dot-com boom. It wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be.
I was 41.
Cashing out stock from public companies I've been at, selling consulting services before building IndexTank, selling IndexTank.
I don't think there is such a thing as overall happiness. I do live in the present more than I used to, but that's perhaps because I'm older. I do worry less about certain things, but the "worry hole" is always there asking to be filled. We all age, get sick, have family / relationship problems, need to stay motivated. I almost certainly enjoy life more than I would if I were forced to take an unpleasant job, but there are many other things a person can do to make life enjoyable besides trying to win the startup lottery.
I don't fall into the "never have to work again" category, but I can speak from some experience. I am 24, and the company I work for was acquired for a very large sum of money. Being one of the very early developers, the stock option payout was substantial. To be honest, it was all luck. I lucked into the job, as my first one out of college, and it happened to be successful. Some days I like to think I contributed to…
The people I've seen make a good chunk of change through software are the types that reinvest their money, start new companies, and play again.
It was the day I realised I would probably never 'retire', and I found that kind of liberating in its own way.
I'm looking forward to my chunk of change so I can plan strategy days in Manarola, Italy, whenever I choose...or Lake Como. Maybe Santorini?