I really admire your ambition. It sounds like you are deeply technical person who understands issues of scale in a way most others don't. You likely also unders

I really admire your ambition. It sounds like you are deeply technical person who understands issues of scale in a way most others don't. You likely also understand the business aspect of it deeply, even though you didn't articulate it here. I think joining a company in the space is a good idea. I had a friend join https://aiven.io/ https://aiven.io/ and they seem like they are a pretty great place to work. I believe they offer stock option compensation. Having the context, technical capacity, and business context would be invaluable to a company like that. With your skills you may find it possible to grow into a higher leadership role which may equip you with the skills and insight you need for your own journey. Once you've done time there you can set yourself up to circle back in 5 years and try again yourself.