part-time consulting work seems like a pretty solid way to make good money and maintain lots of free time, but you've done it and it didn't stick. what drawbacks outweighed the pay/flexibility benefits in your experience?
in my experience working for smaller companies and startups is also way better than working for big companies. i understand why people work for big companies and all the perks they provide (sometimes i just browse openai job postings and read all the compensation sections), but you're more flexible and have more impact at small companies and that's huge. especially for entrepreneurs: more flexibility means it's easier to build stuff in your free time. and more impact means it's easier to creatively express yourself on a larger scale by leveraging company resources.
the other point i want to make here though is: if you've been solopreneuring for a decade and you've built multiple revenue-generating businesses on your own already, i would not bet against that track record. if you've got runway to last you a while, maybe just maximize your free time and your wellness. you'll probably start something new.
The vast majority the last decade has been solopreneuring. I've had a stint at larger companies, but usually as a consultant.
It's likely immature of me, but I gravitate strongly towards "meritocracy" and the simplest purest form of that - for me - has been to work almost entirely alone. And I am acutely aware of all the things I'm giving up in an idealized situation: working alongside great people who are smarter and more passionate than me, cool benefits, money, etc.
I deeply believe that I'd be incredibly valuable to the right company, for the right job, and that the salary and social benefits and such could change my life and lives of my family (and future family!).
But, I've failed as far as finding that just right job.
Here is immature Mike's train of thought regarding this, perhaps someone else can relate?: "I don't want to go do the thing that so many of my peers have done: get a job at a largish tech company, work super hard for 6 months and then fade into a passive state of not really doing anything besides fielding slack notifications and collecting large pay checks. Idk it just feels so lame. It feels immoral. But those people seem to be killing it, they have the money and their girlfriends feel secure and stable, they have friends and get sent on cool business trips. Maybe I'm the one who has it all wrong, and I'm going to slowly age into irrelevance with nothing but my misplaced pride...etc etc etc"
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All that to say, perhaps it's fear of rejection that is keeping me from reaching out and finding that "just-right" job that leverages my "economically valuable" skills.
Your words have struck a chord, and I will make the aforementioned serious effort towards finding a compromise between earnings and outlets.
Thank you, and I hope to keep in touch. - Mike