It sounds to me like you need a co-founder, not a PhD. I've worked from home on my own projects off and on for nearly 20 years and still have some of the probl

It sounds to me like you need a co-founder, not a PhD. I've worked from home on my own projects off and on for nearly 20 years and still have some of the problems you describe. Go and do a project on a customer site and they cannot believe how efficient I am. Started a (failed) project with someone, the pressure of having someone else relying on me was great (not that it is the reason it failed, but he didn't quite feel the same way). Do something at home and hey I'm replying to this on HN :-) Find someone to team up with and do what you really want to do, don't try and distract yourself with something else you may never finish.