[_delirium]

The idea that the goal should be to work for a bit and then "step back and enjoy" while other people take over is a bit of a weird aspect of silicon valley. Successful small businessmen in most fields expect to continue operating their businesses long-term, maybe with a few employees. One of my uncles ran a shop for 45 years! I don't see what's wrong with being a tech small business long-term, either. Past the bootstrapping phase you do need some trusted people to cover while you're on vacation or sick, but it doesn't have to be a huge operation to get to that.

[soneill]

This is also the case with many professional fields. There are plenty of lawyers, accountants, marketers, etc. who start a small firm and then run it the rest of their life without expanding much, if at all. There's nothing wrong with a lifestyle business, it's just not a "startup".