Guess my question is did you have any plans what to do with that freedom? Or did the vision just stop with freedom?
Must be I was less ambitious than you. I too started out with goal of tenure and financial independence. 3 years in on tenure track I figured it was easier just to get financial independence and give myself tenure than to play someone's game.
One I reached financial independence (probably a much lower threshold than your), I didn't have any trouble find trouble finding things to fill my days with fulfilling activities that I had long put off. Always fun stuff to learn.
So interested to learn if it was that you still had something you felt you had to prove? Just plan inertia?
Can really put my finger on it, but what if in "I am (not) a failure" essay in addition "Lesson Learned" for each attempt, you had a "Joy Experienced" (perhaps too corny) section as well.
> did you have any plans what to do with that freedom?
Yes. I was going to solve really hard problems without any pointy-haired bosses standing in my way. I was specifically going to solve AI.
> So interested to learn if it was that you still had something you felt you had to prove?
It started out that way, but now I've ended up feeling like I gave it my best shot, and so I failed because I discovered my own limitations rather than any external circumstances (with the notable exception of Smart Charter). And I'm OK with that.
> what if ... you had a "Joy Experienced" (perhaps too corny) section as well.
What I find has given me the biggest dopamine rush over the years is getting something to work, especially after beating on it for a long time. And that includes small wins like fixing a bug in personal code that no one is ever going to see, or fixing something around the house, or getting something I've written on the front page of HN and seeing it well-received. The best way I can think of to characterize it is that I like to feel useful. I don't think I'm alone in that.
Guess my question is did you have any plans what to do with that freedom? Or did the vision just stop with freedom?
Must be I was less ambitious than you. I too started out with goal of tenure and financial independence. 3 years in on tenure track I figured it was easier just to get financial independence and give myself tenure than to play someone's game.
One I reached financial independence (probably a much lower threshold than your), I didn't have any trouble find trouble finding things to fill my days with fulfilling activities that I had long put off. Always fun stuff to learn.
So interested to learn if it was that you still had something you felt you had to prove? Just plan inertia?
Can really put my finger on it, but what if in "I am (not) a failure" essay in addition "Lesson Learned" for each attempt, you had a "Joy Experienced" (perhaps too corny) section as well.