Agreed. As a new father, having the chance to go home at a reasonable hour and have your kids smile at you can be a significant benefit that one would gladly take over increased compensation or options.
This is probably the biggest question mark I have about my own choices. I've chosen to live my life focused on achieving my vision of a "not mediocre" life, and I've sacrificed a lot of things along the way: settling down, getting married, having kids, etc.
So when I go home and visit my friends, and watch them playing with their kids and kissing their wives, etc., there's always a pang of regret that says "you could have gone this route instead". But, of course, as they say "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence", blah, blah.
But I never wanted to start a family until I was in a position to give them the kind of life that I would want them to have.
Anyway, getting married and doing all that is potentially still in the cards. Time will tell, I suppose.
Never too old, and best to wait until you're ready. Just like not everyone is ready to do a start-up today, not everyone is ready for kids today. Better to be mentally and financially prepared. But if you do an even halfway decent job as a parent, your kids won't care how rich their parents are.
So when I go home and visit my friends, and watch them playing with their kids and kissing their wives, etc., there's always a pang of regret that says "you could have gone this route instead". But, of course, as they say "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence", blah, blah.
But I never wanted to start a family until I was in a position to give them the kind of life that I would want them to have.
Anyway, getting married and doing all that is potentially still in the cards. Time will tell, I suppose.