Here's the catch in that, my master's experience convinced me that even academia, isn't as free as it is hyped up to be. There's a strong marketing drive to hype up the freedom in academia, but there's a strong guide/suggestive coercion from the guides, to do your work along the lines and plans they have. Eventually i decided not to do a ph.d.

Note: This is the case of an average coursework. Perhaps cal newport was always extraordinary and so had extraordinary options, but the advice has it's limitations for applicability to everyone.