While running a small business can be incredibly fulfilling and teach you a ton of adjacent skills that you wouldn’t learn as a SwEng at a FAANG (sales, marketing, …), I find it infinitely more stressful than regular employment.

There’s just so much more responsibility resting on your shoulders. Holidays have never felt the same since I left employment in 2011.

No regrets here, just saying this path is not for everyone and not as accessible as you might think.