[mtlynch]

I was 32 and single, so I had a lot of freedom to take the risk at that point.

I don't want to say my exact net worth at the time, but I earmarked $400k to last me five years of trying to make it on my own.

$400k was kind of extreme because I assumed I'd maintain the lifestyle I had at Google, including my $4.2k/mo apartment in downtown Manhattan. I ended up moving to Western Massachusetts, where my burn rate was significantly lower and could have been even lower if I rented an apartment instead of buying a house.