Something I had some success with was grouping things together on the resume. Having lived through it it can feel like different chapters but often that isn't l

Something I had some success with was grouping things together on the resume. Having lived through it it can feel like different chapters but often that isn't legible to others. So you had a lot of success freelancing for a year and then spent 3 years on product research and development that went nowhere or looks doomed in hindsight. Why did you give up a good business to dither around? Really what happened was you spent 4 years on an entrepreneurial journey that involved products, services, and R&D. That the services side provided the revenue to support the other segments is exactly how that business is supposed to work. It's how IBM works.