Yeah, a Portland or Berlin where one can retire young with low cost of living and do cool stuff...

/s ?

As someone living in Portland metro right now, either it's /s or misinformed. Portland hasn't been cheap since maybe 2010, maybe earlier depending on your definition. It may be cheaper than San Francisco, but certainly not cheap.

I read the comment as "a city like Portland, but…"

Same.

If you develop for a niche you care about, even not for profit, it shouldn't be hard to cover the bill (along with other day job). I'm doing so but in small scale so far.

I do agree, but most people want a lot of money. They might say they just want some protein in their noodles, but deep down they are a Zuck.

It seems like every financially successful developer out there came from a middle/upper class enviornment.

Once they smell money, it's always more, more, and more. If the get big enough they blame it on their shareholders?

Guys like Thibault are a different breed. They are rare. I have a feeling his payoff will be huge in the future, and it will be a combination of respect, and a fulfilled guilt free life.

I don't feel like arguing. Their must be few Horatio Algers out there banging away, and just want a comfortable life. It just seems like most people that's never ever enough once they get the whiff of financial opportunity. I truly believe Zuckerburg could have had a legitimate shot at running for president if it wasn't for greed. (He pondered running a few years ago with calculated photo op trips to the midwest.)

I don't think so. If there's one thing history shows is that the vast majority of people just want to live a serene life with comforts, but not necessarily luxury.

>It seems like every financially successful developer out there came from a middle/upper class enviornment.

I think this is more likely evidence of how many advantages being brought up in those environments gives in becoming financially successful. Not having to worry about paying for college, for example, leading to having more seed funding to be able to start working on your own projects, and potentially even having relatives provide that funding directly.

Even then, only the greedy find major success. Make the cost of living lower, and you see more successful people, specifically more guys like Thibault who are willing to do thinks the right way.

Where do you live that the middle class doesn't have to worry about paying for college? I grew up somewhere between working and middle class and by the time I got accepted into a state school my folks had earned just enough money to report to FAFSA that I didn't need aid -- but they had no significant savings with which to send me. Despite my father being a traditional engineer my whole life, and my mother had a career in social work.

I worked to pay for my tuition, and like many millennials, discovered this was insufficient, and had to take out loans. Eventually the financial exposure was too great so I dropped out because I couldn't afford it anymore and found a job writing code

And now I'm middle class, myself.

But I'm middle class for flyover country. If you don't have to worry about paying for college, because your parents can afford it out of pocket, I've got news for you: you're not middle class. You're RICH.

> Where do you live that the middle class doesn't have to worry about paying for college?

Europe, most likely... You know, those socialist countries where there is still a middle class.

I truly cannot fathom why anyone would Zuckerberg as their president.

Everyone's just looking for someone they can trust so they don't have to read and actively discuss things.

What you wrote reinforces the point of the comment you answered to, according to mine and I guess most users' here views.

Zuck'd have a shot at running if he had more than three facial expressions.