[Domenic_S]

> Money doesn't make me happy, freedom does.

Guess what money buys?

The only problem (in this context) is that it has to be a fairly large amount of money, and all in one chunk. Seriously, if Facebook offered you $10MM for instadesk, under the condition that you'd have to work for them for one year, you'd turn that down? No way. You'd be silly not to take it, because you could put in your one year and then be free for (basically) ever.

[buro9]

I think that is false.

I think freedom is more like love... money can not buy it, you have to work at other things to get it. If you think money buys you freedom then you become a slave to money rather than a person living with freedom.

I've recently quit the corporate treadmill and am working on a startup. I've gone from an annual 6-figure (GBP) income from my day job and projects, to an £8k income from one actually profitable bootstrapped company.

I don't think I could go back to the corporate world, and whilst a VC firm is currently trying to court me I fear it's just a talent acquisition attempt. I'm not interested in any scenario that isn't me pushing my work forward.

The only thing I'm interested in is the freedom to work today on something that I care deeply for and believe in. My entire existence is focused on one this thing: This idea I have must come into being.

No money can stop me from doing this, and that is freedom to me. To, today, choose everything I do and how I do it. To be happy knowing I have no distractions just to put food on the table, to be able to dedicate myself to this.

Today I can truly say that there is no amount of money for which I'd enslave myself again. Perhaps there might be such a figure tomorrow, but today there isn't. I live day by day, and I think that tomorrow I will feel the same way.

One fear I had in the corporate world earning that large sum of money... "What if I never quit and follow my dream?", "What if I spent my whole life working to secure the ability to follow my dream and then my life ended?". If you can, go for the freedom today. Money isn't worth it, it's such a bad measure of success, status, happiness and worth.

That said, if you execute your dream well and others agree. Then I think that money comes.

So freedom may bring you money... but money won't bring you freedom.

[2muchcoffeeman]

There are probably levels of freedom though. I like producing useful things and would work even if I have $10M right now (I would also be less stressed and probably produce better work ...).

So getting a modest amount of money annually, and increasing the freedom at which I can do my other things is also attractive. I think a lot of people really just want to be comfortable.

[terhechte]

True, though in a situation I like that I'd take $100.000 away and pay a dev to work on my apps for that year, and probably continue working on it afterwards.