| You have to be fairly lucky. My history: * Startup in Midwestern city. Company never grew much, pivoted several times, still in business selling storage products. If I'd stayed with them, I would have had a long, boring career. One guy I knew did stay there and had a long, boring career. * Heavy industrial company in Detroit. Acquired by a bigger company long after I left, Detroit plant closed. * Time-sharing startup company in greater NYC area. Went bust. Technology worked fine, sales not so much. Left 3 weeks before shutdown. * Time-sharing startup company in Silicon Valley. More successful. Acquired by bigger company after I left. Time-sharing was clearly on the way out. Time to leave that industry. * Big aerospace company R&D operation. That's where I got into theory. Split into several units years after I left, some acquired by other companies. * Small startup that got big. Cashed out. * Careful about spending, reached retirement age in good shape. |