[jebarker]

I too would like to hear more from people with similar approaches to work, career and technology to KK. However, it seems like there’s a large amount of survivorship bias at play when people talk about just following their interests and it leading to financial security and work freedom.

[spyckie2]

It’s not quite about following your interest. It’s learning how to take an interest in your interests, IMO.

Basically if you pursue your interest half heartedly or without the rigor and discipline that you would under pressure of work, you would probably never do anything interesting with your interests. But if you held yourself to the same standard of excellence in your interests that you do in work, then your interests will take on a quality that allows it to stand on its own.

[dasil003]

Of course there’s a survivorship bias. Everyone’s gotta eat, and the path of least resistance is to get a job and do what you’re told. Finding an alternative path is much harder of course, but in the grand scheme of things well supported by our industrial prosperity and individualist culture.

If you look around you’ll find more people doing it than you think, they just tend to be less famous than business moguls since peculiar interests are more of a niche thing but everyone is interested in material success.

[robertritz]

Meh I took a serious left turn after college and my first few jobs. Much happier now.

Work on Capitol Hill for less than a year then tech outsourcing then consulting. Realized it was boring, useless, and mind numbing and moved across the world. Now have multiple businesses, more than 30 employees across those business, and I get to have fun. It's stressful sometimes but I think we've kicked the stress finally (at 37). Now it's just fun and we get to see what we can pull off when we want to.

Most people simply quit or aren't willing to do the uncomfortable things. It's uncomfortable to be unbothered. But I certainly didn't follow my interests. I used my interests to get better at what was in front of us. Gotta pay the bills and give people what they want, I just put my own spin on it.

[riehwvfbk]

Humblebrag much?

Do you think your employees are where they are in life because they aren't willing to do uncomfortable things? Or because they follow their interests too much?

[financltravsty]

Yes.