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by caser
986 days ago
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Ha, author here -- I'm probably a member of this group myself. I bootstrapped my first company and then ran a small consultancy for awhile. Spent some time at a fund, but we primarily bought and operated SaaS companies as cash flow businesses. It's been base hits all the way. I think if you're happy with building a business that gives you freedom and work life balance, this can be a great life. Personally, I eventually got tired of consulting even though it was good money and lifestyle. There were other things I wanted to work on that I didn't have time for, and I wanted to create something of my own, rather than just working on other people's projects. But that's just my experience--I think if you're happy in the freelance / agency life, it can be great, but you are still ultimately selling time for money. Maybe this is a 4th path, the career craftsman--working a job you enjoy with people you like, and not needing your work to be as aligned with a "passion" or some sort of calling. Just my $0.02 -- appreciate the comment and will have to make my writing sound less like an AI in the future ^_^;; |
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The most common pitfall I see on the bivocational path is when work consumes so much of your time and attention that you don’t have the energy to pursue art in your spare time.
One common pitfall of the integration approach is what I call the “bakery trap.” It goes like this: someone likes to bake pies, so they decide to open a bakery. A year in, they realize that they’re spending all their time bookkeeping, managing staff, and trying to market the business—and don’t get to spend any time actually baking.
these are really very similar.
especially with your followup example of travelling for work and never making it to the beach.
because that is actually choosing your work so that it aligns with your hobby, and not making your hobby into your job.
that is fine, it's just different from directly integrating your interest with your work.
i once worked as a developer evangelist. i got to travel and give talks. i never made it to any beach either, but that didn't matter because going to conferences and hanging out with tech folks was the very thing i enjoyed doing, and here i got paid for it. perfect job.
so for integrating, you really have to make sure that the thing you enjoy doing is the very thing that pays you. or realize that while you managed to align your interest with your work you didn't integrate them and you still are on the bivocational path.
EDIT TO ADD:
and the key for the bivocational path is to set proper priorities.
i never let work get in the way with spending time with family, meet with friends or other activities that i'd do after work. don't work over time. don't allow work to become more important than your other activities. if they do, fight back or switch jobs.
and if anyone questions your priorities, straight out tell them that your family is your priority. (while you are single, this means building a family and finding a partner, which requires time to spend with your friends and on your hobbies)
unless you intent to never get married. then you may need a different excuse.
related discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37760706