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by vasco 1474 days ago
You could say the same about falling in love with someone, it's great, you can get caught up in it, and you're really vulnerable in case the relationship fails.
3 comments

The analogy here would be to not cut out all your other social relationships just because you have a romantic partner. Make time for your family and friends.
People not following this advice is part of why the American divorce rate is so high.
One is a fundamental human experience. The other is a SaaS.
Depends on how much success you have with the SaaS, perhaps it changes your life enough to be a world-changing event. Some people fall in love multiple times, not many can say the same about making a ground breaking SaaS.

Tongue firmly in cheek, in case people don't get what I'm saying.

Some would argue that careers usually last longer than the usual modern relationships..

In both case I think the advice is "do not get invested that much that you loose everything including yourself if it fails".

> "do not get invested that much that you loose everything including yourself if it fails"

That's great advice if you're 18 years old; but some things are worth the risk.

If you're not all in, you're not in at all. While this certainly applies to work in some cases, it applies as much as again if you want to start a family.

Modern relationships are a hell because everyone has their eye on the door at all times - ready to bolt at a moment's notice if something goes wrong, or if something better comes along.

You'll never have a family of your own with that mindset; it's a problem that causes itself.

> If you're not all in, you're not in at all.

Seems like black and white thinking. There's a big spectrum between those two extremes, and no good reason you can't healthily occupy a point on that spectrum. In fact, many points on that spectrum are probably a lot more healthy than either extreme.

Good point tho
Well, you have managed to have pretty long career as a DJ. I don't know if anyone can be so influential in software development as you were with House music ;)
Im not the real one but John Carmack is a good shot
Work is a fundamental human experience, too.
I don’t think so. When you look at the historical record. Work either in the modern or agricultural sense has only existed for at most 5% of human existence.

It’s a modern concept.

Dividing things into intrinsically human and not is a false dichotomy. Our experience is always a mix of what comes from our biology and what comes from culture. Finding enjoyment in a craft or a puzzle may well have existed for thousands of years. And relationships are definitely effected by culture. The expectations around marriage for example have changed a lot.
I'd still consider hunting/gathering a form of work. And who knows, maybe the disposition for individuals to hyperfocus on that form of work led to more genetic success and desirability for reproduction, since it meant there would be more security of resources. I have no idea if these tendencies have a genetic component, totally spitballing here.
Fundamentally, the idea here is to learn to love and care for yourself no matter what job you have, what relationship you are in, and so on.

Much easier said than done :)

But it is a very worthwhile pursuit. And future jobs and relationships will be better for it.