Somebody who really came from a poor or working-class background, who had poor parents. Was all of the work required to build a business (or brand, etc.) worth it, looking back? Was there some other path you could have taken that would have been more fun or fulfilling in some way, but might not have brought the wealth?
Would love to hear from experienced people who have been through it. Why is the entrepreneurial route worth it if you don't come from money, or why isn't it?
I chased the dream hard. Worked at 4 startups, worked myself to burnout. I went through 4 exits and didn’t get rich (because exits don’t favor non-executives and socially awkward).
I finally got rich just by saving and investing well. I saved pretty much everything I made. It was worth it, because now I get to live the life of The Dude.
Care to share some details?
At my first job, I made 30k / year. And, that sort of set my standard of living. I bought my first house in early 2000s for $250k which increased my cost of living. But, I made it back in increased equity. But, everything else went into investments. I maxed out my 401k with index funds. Non-401k investments went into a mix of technology stocks.
As for The Dude lifestyle. Well, I'm mid-40s. I smoke a lot of weed. Hang out with my friends. We make bad music, art, and comedy together. I bike a lot. I chill under the sunset. I still like to make software, and I'm still relatively good at it, but I have no interest in interviewing nor competing with today's hungry all-stars. So, I just abide.
In sum: Totally worth it, but I always placed a higher priority on jobs I liked.
Wife actually doesn’t want to be richer, because she grew up an unwilling celebrity. Any more rich than we are, and she would perish under the spotlight.
Making sure to switch companies when you hit a dead road.
Always communicating to your manager what you expect.
Driving the career instead of hoping you get a raise alone makes a huge difference.
Or I also moved to a big city instead of staying in a small city because I knew that my chances for a career are much higher.
I have not studied, and I reached 6 figures by myself and my old friends earn half of what I make (not USA)
And yes I actually enjoy doing a great job slightly independent from what I do.
One of my neighbors was an NFL player. He got hurt, retired and has a normal gig, just with more swag than most people. It was tough for his kids to just enjoy little league or whatever.
I'll give a 10,000 foot view of my younger years. I learned how to program on my own in the 90s because my school had no books or anything. I got my first computer when I was in college. I didn't study computer science or anything technical.
I kept programming/hacking after school/work. I did eventually get a programming job and I kept hacking after working. I eventually got a brilliant idea to charge money for something I made (after having made hundreds of open source projects).
People started paying for my tool. I was making $500,000+ USD per-year from my tool alone. I quit my "full time" job and kept doing what I always did, hacking on stuff.
Do I regret anything? No. Would I do anything different? Probably not.
I guess the only advice I have is "charge for it".
Of course it was worth it. It would have been worth it even if I hadn’t succeeded. Work hard, do good work, plan well, build wealth, cultivate relationships. Eliminate unnecessary expenses and waste. All these things are worth doing in themselves.
Also I wasn’t self made. I had white privilege (I distinctly recall two times I was cut slack for youthful hi-jinx where a black person would have gone to jail). I had people who mentored me and supported me. I had people who cut me slack when I needed it and believed in me. If anything my success is due to the strength of my family and friends. So remember to cultivate long-term relationships. Above all demonstrate trustworthiness.
The entrepreneurial route is the best way to build and hold wealth. Because it allows you to become part of the owner class. It’s unfair but if you’re going to live in an unfair system you owe it to yourself to join the class most favored.
Some people choose not to pursue wealth. I know people who consciously chose to teach or otherwise nurture children, knowing they forego wealth by doing so. Some people choose to become artists, or another creative pursuits. Some people choose journalism knowing there’s not a lot of money in it. Keep that in mind if you join the owners class. You’re not special, you’re not better. They simply choose not to do what you did. Many times as a deliberate rejection.
To answer your questions: yes, the work was worth it, because it led to having no financial concerns, which is very relaxing, and financial success let me help and support family members and let my wife support charities. I doubt there would have been a "more fun" path for me because I enjoyed programming so much.
Could you share a bit more about your businesses? Would love to learn more
Yet for the most part minimum wage and entry level jobs have not had an increase in pay for almost thirty years.
The result is that we have lost our middle class.
It’s a pay decrease.
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