This is not a PIH vs. VC funded startup issue, except that this seems to be part of an ongoing flamewar between people from both communities. You can achieve t

This is not a PIH vs. VC funded startup issue, except that this seems to be part of an ongoing flamewar between people from both communities. You can achieve the same balance and freedom with a part-time job, freelancing, as a PIH (although I don't think the OP actually earns passive income in the accounting sense) or some other work arrangement. What's most important to have the kind of freedom that the OP describes is to first have a relationship with money that supports it.