[fluxquanta]

>I do not think the industry will accept you without you regularly proving your worthiness.

Exactly. I left a physics PhD program after my first year because I couldn't stand the environment anymore, and went into software development for an established company. I'm still given "homework" and "exams", still judged on merit of my work, still proving my worthiness of my paycheck everyday. Luckily I had to work throughout undergrad and grad school to afford it, so I already had that knowledge going into my career, but it really sounds like the author of this article did not.