Sounds like you're in a fine position to follow some dreams and set yourself for a future in either startups or freelancing (both of which offer a lot of freedo

Sounds like you're in a fine position to follow some dreams and set yourself for a future in either startups or freelancing (both of which offer a lot of freedom). > would you stay in a smaller city? I think you should. Your cost of living is much lower there than what it would be in a major metro, so it's much easier to afford a great life (especially if you're looking to build a family). It sounds like doing some contracting would be a great opportunity for you. Generally nobody screens contractors for their CS skills—what matters is that you can execute. Also, having a product-driven focus can be a major asset: user empathy is one of the biggest things I look for in developers. If you're interested in working on some Javascript for Cafe.com, I've hired a number of contractors of HN and would be happy to talk to you. morgante@cafe.com