Agreed. And I think "worked until they endangered their health" is unwise and naive. There's no real need in the world to work like that, not in the US, not in

Agreed. And I think "worked until they endangered their health" is unwise and naive. There's no real need in the world to work like that, not in the US, not in the software field. In Africa, to fend off starvation, sure, but not in the US with software skills. Working insane hours may give a boost in the very short term but it's been pretty widely known now that for most people it becomes a big net loss over the longer term due to the negative effects on your health and family and social life. No matter how much money you make (and you may not make much or any at all) you can't really buy those things back past a certain point. Work smarter and more efficiently. Not necessarily longer or "harder".