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This question's gauche, but: given the prevalence of $400k++ comp packages for ~30-year-olds in Big Tech, why aren't there lots more "gentle[wo]man scholars"? i.e. people quitting to do non-remunerative creative projects I can think of some, but shouldn't there be thousands?

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Chenoe Hart

@chenoehart

Jan 28

I’d guess because the minimum amount of money you need to do those alternative activities is much lower, so people start doing them before they earn that much. People really motivated to do it do things like join PhD programs, live in cheaper places or set up Patreon accounts.

Andy Matuschak

@andy_matuschak

Replying to

@chenoehart

This is a good point. In fact, it's so good… that it's what I did!! :) And so perhaps it's what many others did too.

1:48 AM · Jan 28, 2022Twitter Web App

Replying to

and

so many good answers to your question andy, but i want to second chenoe’s as a society we’re rich enough that “passion careers” are accessible to a lot of the people who really want them. so people who go into tech “first” generally aren’t truly motivated to do it later