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Preparing for ambition — LessWrong

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When I was in college, I decided that I wanted to spend my life starting startups. It seemed like the perfect "career path". If things really work out for you, the reward is billions of dollars. Awesome. But here's the really cool part: even if you "fail", like that Seinfeld episode, things will still even out for you. The consolation prize is a life working as a programmer. What does that life look like? Well, it's pretty cushy. You make good money, are treated relatively well, have the option of working remotely, and get to do something that is intellectually interesting. Not bad. And if you play your cards right, you'll be able to retire early. So back when I was in college beginning my startup journey, this was my mindset. Don't get me wrong, I did really, really, really want to make those billions of dollars and use the money to change the world. That is definitely where the crosshairs were aiming. But at the same time, I recognized that if that didn't work out for me, life would

x Preparing for ambition — LessWrong Ambition Emotions Internal Family Systems Startups Therapy World Optimization Frontpage 19 Preparing for ambition by Biff Wiff 19th Jul 2021 12 min read 8 19 When I was in college, I decided that I wanted to spend my life starting startups. It seemed like the perfect "career path". If things really work out for you, the reward is billions of dollars. Awesome. But here's the really cool part: even if you "fail", like that Seinfeld episode , things will still even out for you. The consolation prize is a life working as a programmer. What does that life look l

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