As to why to work remotely while living in the valley: I've found that when I come into a new job at the principal engineer level I'm usually met by the "smarte

As to why to work remotely while living in the valley: I've found that when I come into a new job at the principal engineer level I'm usually met by the "smartest guy in the room" syndrome. There are usually 2-3 other principal engineers or architects that are usually very particular about how they like things. They tend to not be particularly open to new ideas and they generally don't like to be especially creative when it isn't their own pet project. So, I find it very difficult to become an "expert" on anything because anything "different" is seen as a threat to the people that were "the smartest guy in the room" before I joined. And so the jobs tend to degrade to just doing what I'm told, not looking to improve anything, deferring to everyone else's ideas and just not being creative at all. So I've found it pretty soul crushing work. As a consultant, my customers are looking for an expert. They WANT me to be the expert. I can write online or write a book on a topic and then market myself as an expert around that. So when I sit down to think through solutions to difficult problems, the other people around the table actually WANT me to have new ideas and the architects and principal engineers don't feel as threatened or challenged because they still get to keep their small slice of the universe exactly as they want it. So, to answer your question as to why I would want to work remotely. It's really about the people. Consulting vs. contracting: how do you see this distinction? I see that there is a difference. How would you describe it? Thanks for the tip on Steve Blank. I'll definitely check that out. And thanks for taking time to share your thoughts. I really appreciate it!