[lisper]

> did you have any plans what to do with that freedom?

Yes. I was going to solve really hard problems without any pointy-haired bosses standing in my way. I was specifically going to solve AI.

> So interested to learn if it was that you still had something you felt you had to prove?

It started out that way, but now I've ended up feeling like I gave it my best shot, and so I failed because I discovered my own limitations rather than any external circumstances (with the notable exception of Smart Charter). And I'm OK with that.

> what if ... you had a "Joy Experienced" (perhaps too corny) section as well.

What I find has given me the biggest dopamine rush over the years is getting something to work, especially after beating on it for a long time. And that includes small wins like fixing a bug in personal code that no one is ever going to see, or fixing something around the house, or getting something I've written on the front page of HN and seeing it well-received. The best way I can think of to characterize it is that I like to feel useful. I don't think I'm alone in that.