When I was 21 I started a company with 4 other people that lasted about 2 years before we ran out of money. After that I went to work for an insurance company.

When I was 21 I started a company with 4 other people that lasted about 2 years before we ran out of money. After that I went to work for an insurance company. At the age of 26, the contacts I made from my startup started to blossom, and I got back into a trendy company that I stayed at for 6 years before breaking off on my own again around the age of 32. Here's the thing, I was worried about going backwards in my carrier when I went to work for the insurance company, but instead it taught me discipline and gave me the chance to learn from veteran programmers. I would not trade in those years for a new startup firm. Don't feel like you're giving up just because you have to step back a bit. Use it as a chance to get a different perspective on our industry.