Objectively assessing myself, I recognize the following:
* I write louder than I talk. I enjoy reading more than the average person. I'm not designed for the powerpoint world.
* I learned in Kindergarten that interrupting others is rude and that listening to someone who is speaking is polite. I do not intend to ignore those important lessons of my childhood in favor of being "heard" in a meeting.
* I run marathons; I'm not a sprinter. In my experience, pacing and patience ensure long-term survival. I don't believe that enduring fortunes are made through 12...18...24 months of worker exploitation. So take your aggressive business plan and shove it up your a@@.
* I'm a realistic idealist. I know it takes money to achieve an objective, but money AS the objective doesn't inspire me. To me, money is a means to an end. When it's THE end, I'm confused. Money -- profit -- as THE end seems like someone stopped in mid-sentence, clearly pausing before finishing with "...on our mission to achieve world peace and reverse global warming, etc. etc."
Given these traits, it's no wonder I've been uncomfortable working for start-up software companies during the past 10 years of my life. As a wise man once told me "You can't throw a rose into a pig pen and expect the pigs to appreciate it." I'll leave it to your interpretation to decide whether I'm the rose or the pig in this scenario. The point is, I'm in an environment where I don't appreciate the rewards being given and where the traits I have to offer are equally unappreciated. It's an unrewarding match for both parties.
I don't know what the 36 alternatives are, but running away from the business world does, indeed, seem like the best of them. Like a pioneer (or an unemployed free-loader -- take your pick), I'm off to discover a land that smells like a rose...or at least serves slop that I can appreciate. When I reach a destination, I'll drop a postcard.
"Of the 36 alternatives, running away is best." -- Chinese proverb
