[mindcrime]

There are plenty of ways you could be 'free' without owning a company.

Oh yeah, no doubt. That's the problem with engaging in too much reductionism in conversations like this. Human motivation is always more complex than just one or two things. I want to build a startup for other reasons than just financial independence, for sure. I guess the way I'd put it is:

"Founding a startup and growing a successful, profitable company seems - to me - to be the best path to satisfying a large number of my goals and ambitions and priorities, to an adequate degree, without compromising any of my fundamental principles".

Or think of it as an optimization problem... my calculations optimize the system of equations best by starting a company, based on what I know right now.

[mgkimsal]

BTW, are you ever back in NC?

[mindcrime]

Oh yeah, I've been back since mid June, modulo a two week trip to Miami that I just returned from. I'm sitting at the Barnes & Noble at New Hope Commons now, writing this. :-)

We should get together again sometime soon, and do lunch or drinks or something. Shoot me an email or give me a call and let's see what we can line up.