Back then when, lacking formal education in this field, I was unable to get anything better than unpaid traineeships. Since I needed income those were no viable option, plus I was demonstratively far beyond that skill level and felt I was being taken advantage of to an unfair degree.

If I wanted to stay in this field, my only option was to start my own business which I ended up doing. Things worked out quite well.

> Anyone capable of starting a tech company has the skills and motivation required to get a reasonably well paying tech job.

I find that way too simplistic and too blankety even for a blanket statement.

Not everyone works in tech. I know some "forced entrepreneurs" that failed big. They were "forced" in the sense that the country in which they were living was just not able to provide them a decent job.

> Anyone capable of starting a tech company has the skills and motivation required to get a reasonably well paying tech job.

I say that's mostly true, provided they're authorized to work in the US and move there.

They may have the skills, but not the attitude. I've met several entrepreneurs who simply can't work for someone else due to their own personality traits.

Very true. I dunno what OP is on about saying they’re interchangeable.

In a similar boat now after having had a taste of entrepreneurship but running out of runway. I used to be a model tech worker but now being back at a regular job just seems so... pointless, even though it pays well

Strategizing and executing at the business level is so much more fun than back and forth discussion about how to best fit something into a large existing codebase and making sure your PRs are small enough... but it’s hard to get employment doing that kind of work with a SW engineer’s resume

Yeah. It's probably way more mentally engaging - stress of getting product out and upcoming sales and the emotional rollercoaster of wins and losses. More importantly is the rate at which I met people and talked shop. Talked to customers, potential partners, talked to anyone who would listen really.

These days, sitting at the office listening to Katie go on about her weekend and Micheal go on about Apex legends or as you mention... but it's missing that weight or sense of purpose.

In my country though, putting former startup founder @ 28 years old makes you un-hireable.

In practice it's rare that someone simultaneously can't work for someone else yet can work for some combination of customers, investors, and employees. Running a business is rarely about working in isolation, taking orders from no one, and letting the money roll in.

Many of them can work for someone else, but it would be incredibly difficult. Imagine being founding engineer at a small startup that fails, then joining a large company and having to deal with tons of bureaucracy, slow processes, and red tape. Sure, you can "do" it. You can do the work. You can follow the processes. The money is nice. But it's frustrating.

Have you been both an entrepreneur and an employee (after having been an entrepreneur)? I have. I'm pretty sure the skillsets for each are completely different.

That might be less true outside of the US.