[mindcrime]

Agreed (despite my response above). I know that if I built a company and then sold it for $10,000,000, that I would - indeed - feel some regret over that. But assuming it was the decision I needed to make in order to do other things that mattered to me, then the thing is... once I "cash out" of one company, I'm free to turn around and start another one! Maybe I want to take a break, do the Scotland thing, veg out for a year, and come back refreshed and re-energized and ready to rock. And guess what? Now I have the seed capital to start my new company and don't have to worry about figuring out how I'm going to finance the initial phases! Win-win.

And I am pretty sure that, in my own case, this is exactly what would happen. Because, yes, a natural born entrepreneur does always feel that drive to build and to create. But nothing says we can only have one creative outlet in our entire lifetimes!