> In a way, his methods make me feel relieved that a particular income benchmark or the wild growth of a business is not needed to lead a happy/sufficient life

> In a way, his methods make me feel relieved that a particular income benchmark or the wild growth of a business is not needed to lead a happy/sufficient life Are you sure about that? He worked during the boom era (1998 to 2007) and the article says he saved 250k in five years, which indicates that he had a very good salary. In addition, he says that he and his wife still work occasionally (and she was also a developer in the boom era) and that he makes 400k/year from the site. I imagine that it's much easier to retire at 30 if you have a crapton in the bank made on a high salary in a good economy (when you bought your houses [one of which they rent out]) and then have recurring income that can pad out your savings in event of any emergencies that might come up. Someone who's budgeted 30k a year for the rest of his life and doesn't have the kind of job/expertise to do random contract work and retires could easily find himself completely ruined by one bad accident.