[pjjpo]

Do people actually get rich fast without loving their work, at least to a reasonable degree? Motivation is the most important requirement for productivity, not smarts (unnecessary for engineering where the main job is to understand tools to the fullest) nor even experience (though the ones that stay in the industry for a while generally also have more motivation). I've seen plenty of folks get managed out that fall in the unmotivated, unproductive pattern as they probably should be.

Retiring early to pursue something different is a great goal, but I think that means liking your work enough to get there. And some luck maybe that someone shared the importance of investment which is often the missing piece.