The OP asked how to stay sharp - not how to obtain ultimate happiness, or how to obtain the best balance of everything. Being a founder is probably the best wa

The OP asked how to stay sharp - not how to obtain ultimate happiness, or how to obtain the best balance of everything. Being a founder is probably the best way to learn and stay sharp. Of course it's not for everyone. Of course you're going to fail (at least a little, most likely a ton). And why is it decades of ruin? I could argue that running and failing your own company for 2-3 years will work better for you financially than going to work for a big tech company straight out of school (or at any point in time really). There's no need to "throw caution to the wind". Just be on top of what you're capable of, where your priorities are, and what your financial situation is (stay sharp on all these things).