13 ms·

30 years programming and got sick of it. Started to travel around the world 2 years before Covid. Was kind of semi retired but still CTO and directed the team

30 years programming and got sick of it. Started to travel around the world 2 years before Covid. Was kind of semi retired but still CTO and directed the team on projects and issues. Then Covid hit. Now went back to work full time rebuilding systems but looking forward to jump into semi-retirement next year again. The most important thing I learned? Time. I’ll do anything to preserve time freedom. Housekeeper, transportation, people to do stuff for me. I’ll do it all to save this precious resource. And these are not things that cost a lot, but because I do them, I have more time to spend on myself. Having the freedom of time is completely underrated and misunderstood and I reckon that most people do not know what to do with the extra time once they step back from the daily grind.

Pention 5y ago
I'm struggling with this thought because to me it feels that I want to become full self sustainable. Which contradicts hiring someone to do my tasks. My retirement plan (I wanna be independent by 50) is to have time to do all my chores proper and in my time. Would you say you got used to that lifestyle? Do you earn so much that it doesn't matter from an expenses standpoint? I'd I would hire someone that would be 5k and more per year which I can't save. 15 y * 5k 75k
- robcohen 5y ago
  This is a tricky issue to struggle with, and I've done a fair amount of thinking on this. I think that it's worthwhile to become knowledgeable and capable in everything that you hire someone for. There are exceptions which are impossible, like being a doctor, but by and large I think most work is learnable. I just don't think it's okay to say "oh I'm just not a math person, or a person who does physical labor, or a person who can fix a car". Certainly, learning a variety of fields takes time and isn't economically optimal, but that's not what's important. In the example of cleaning your own home, everyone should be able to do that barring a disability. Learn how to do it, learn to do it well, then offload it to someone else and routinely ensure you know how to do it well. I think a similar approach is useful in business as well. I think middle managers and execs give themselves way too strong of a pass on understanding how to actually do the jobs in their own company. This is partially why so many managers have almost no idea how their internal systems actually work. Anyway, diatribe over.

Pention 5y ago

I'm struggling with this thought because to me it feels that I want to become full self sustainable. Which contradicts hiring someone to do my tasks. My retirement plan (I wanna be independent by 50) is to have time to do all my chores proper and in my time. Would you say you got used to that lifestyle? Do you earn so much that it doesn't matter from an expenses standpoint? I'd I would hire someone that would be 5k and more per year which I can't save. 15 y * 5k 75k

robcohen 5y ago
This is a tricky issue to struggle with, and I've done a fair amount of thinking on this. I think that it's worthwhile to become knowledgeable and capable in everything that you hire someone for. There are exceptions which are impossible, like being a doctor, but by and large I think most work is learnable. I just don't think it's okay to say "oh I'm just not a math person, or a person who does physical labor, or a person who can fix a car". Certainly, learning a variety of fields takes time and isn't economically optimal, but that's not what's important. In the example of cleaning your own home, everyone should be able to do that barring a disability. Learn how to do it, learn to do it well, then offload it to someone else and routinely ensure you know how to do it well. I think a similar approach is useful in business as well. I think middle managers and execs give themselves way too strong of a pass on understanding how to actually do the jobs in their own company. This is partially why so many managers have almost no idea how their internal systems actually work. Anyway, diatribe over.