Excellent final blog post for this series Tom. I think a lot of us are right there with you, so thanks for putting your thoughts down on paper.

It's easy to get sucked into the stereotypical startup lifestyle of working all day, every day, while sacrificing everything else...only to realize a year later what a toll that's taken on you and the people around you. Posts like this help to set things back into perspective and re-evaluate if you have your priorities straight.

Keep up the good work with TS!

I believe that there's only one reason to start a business: because you absolutely have to do this thing no matter what it takes.

All the other reasons you hear about:

  - to be my own boss
  - to get free time
  - to spend more time with my family
  - to get rich
  - to do what I want
  - to be famous

usually lead to disappointment. You'd be better off just getting a good job.

The strategy of only doing it because you have to is one which probably allows for more sustained imbalance and lack of perspective (since the business is everything and must be done, etc.), but I think it is short sighted to believe it's the only reason to start one. Or the only reason one could avoid disappointment when doing so.

At the end of the day, maybe this wasn't something I had to do, but it was something I wanted to do. And it has certainly been an incredibly rewarding experience. Overall, I am anything but disappointed. I've made many great friends, grown exponentially as a programmer and designer, even gotten a taste of the investment world.

Sure, sometimes it sucks, but never once have I said to myself, "I would've been better off getting a job." There's not once I'd have believed it.

"maybe this wasn't something I had to do, but it was something I wanted to do"

Semantics. I think we're saying the same thing.

You really wanted to do it badly, right? That's what I call had to do. Obviously, you don't have to do anything except breathe & eat, but you get the idea.

"In my fervor to escape the slavery of corporate America, I'd made myself a slave to my supposed salvation."

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us. I shuffled through a couple of your most recent posts. Your writing style is honest. I feel like I struggle with you! Glad to know we are not alone.

Keep up the good work. And yeah, make sure you tell that girl she makes you happy!

Folks often remark to me that they'd never want to run a business themselves because it would take up all their time. To that I'll reply "Yup, 'Freedom is Slavery'."

I find it disturbing how few catch that reference, but self-direction isn't for everyone.