Conversation

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?

207

110

1,059

David Aames

@DaveAames

Jan 28

How much savings are you assuming is needed for financial freedom in high COL areas?

Quote Tweet

· Jan 28

Replying to @Duderichy and @steveloh722

This is a good point. Maybe I'm being too optimistic. Let's see… lots of great group houses in SF for $1,500/mo. Say we cut discretionary to $2,500/mo. That's $182k/yr leftover. You'd need ~$1.2M annuity to maintain that lifestyle; that'd take ~6 years.

David Aames

@DaveAames

Jan 28

Makes sense for a certain type of person, but you’ll have to at least 2x it if you want to support a family.

David Aames

@DaveAames

Jan 28

And with that timeline in mind, I wonder if the type of person who’d want to pursue intellectual stuff would rather do a startup than wait a decade.

Andy Matuschak

@andy_matuschak

Replying to

@DaveAames

Yes, I like this general form:

Quote Tweet

Chenoe Hart

@chenoehart

· Jan 28

Replying to @andy_matuschak

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.

3:18 AM · Jan 28, 2022Twitter Web App