Yes, sociologically/anthropologically interesting. But not relevant to the startup world in the few countries I'm familiar with. I've worked in France. Lovely

Yes, sociologically/anthropologically interesting. But not relevant to the startup world in the few countries I'm familiar with. I've worked in France. Lovely place, but it's a socialist country with next to no startup culture (note, I was there more than ten years ago). I don't mean "socialist" as a pejorative, except to the extent that it inhibits the startup culture, and even then only for the HN audience. Just suggesting that many people on HN, reading the title, would have expected a very different and more relevant article. I don't agree with the characterization of govt and attitudes toward work and bosses in your quoted passage...not in my anecdotal experience, outside of France. But one truth is clear: working "for yourself" and having "no boss" is almost always just code for having no administrative support and having to please multiple customers with significant, open-ended, and sometimes conflicting demands. Learning to manage these situations is clearly more effort than "getting a job", so it's not attractive or successful for everyone.