A Beautiful Life

Life is rather perfect right now: summer is here, another software development cycle is over and new plans are taking shape. I’ve almost been at Blurb for 11 months and it’s been quite an experience – a wild ride if you will.

Right after Yahoo! I needed time off and took it. But I also knew as soon as I left the employed world I needed to – eventually – find a new gig to pay the bills. That created both a certain stress and uncertainty. Most common known as fear which was fueled by the surrounding world’s pro-work opinions.

The real truth is that employment induces a false security thanks to the monthly cash-flow and the sense of belonging and perceived value creation. But it could end any day and it should end any day. Work is not a physical place but a state of mind and a purpose.

The whole world is created around monthly salaries: mortgages, consumption, vacations et cetera. It’s all based on the short-term return while we all know that it’s the long-term investment that has got the best ROI.

Once that revelation hit me I’ve felt liberated ever since. There is no need to adapt your consumption to your present cash-flow or to mortgage your salary for the next 30-years. True financial freedom is to wake up in the morning knowing that what you do has a purpose and the bills are getting paid.

That’s my state-of-mind right now: I live a very creative life w/o the pressure to consume but the desire and drive to live, explore and learn.

The Life-Deferred Plan

I just finished The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss and gotta say that I’m really impressed. Most of his advice are things that we have already put in place or discovered during our mini-retirement last year (actually my second mini-retirement; first was in 1999). That said, he puts everything into a nice context and reinforces our decision to challenge current career conventions and focus on living life and stop following the Joneses.

The overall message is to become the CEO of your own life and focus on what really matters to you. It’s about finding your true purpose and living a rich life. Maybe not rich in dollars but rich in happiness, personal growth and sense of meaning.

Life’s Needs and Wants

I learned during our mini-retirement last year that there are few things that one really needs. The luxury of just being free to follow your passion and do deep dives into your hobbies is the highest of all. Waking up and realizing the you own your own day is a beautiful thing.

I promised myself to try to keep that attitude and perspective on life as I ventured back into the working life. The mental trick I played with my consumerist mind was to pretend that I owned my new venture and my operations needed to be boot strapped. I decided to view my new ventures from an entrepreneurial perspective; it’s not just a job but a mission with a purpose.

But the real trick is to think like a venture capitalist; not all ventures are going to generate positive cash flow or profits. You have to save during the good years to pay for the not so good. Especially in a context where you always employ yourself.

I’ve no plans to work non-stop until I’m 65 and then check out. No Siree, I want to work on meaningful projects and the don’t come around that often. I expect to be unemployed at least 25% of my so called working life, most likely voluntarily unemployed. I like the idea of mini-retirements every second or third year depending on how business goes.

That turns that whole current mortgage business model upside down. It’s based on spending most of your current salary on paying your mortgage for the next 30 years. Talk about not keeping your options open. The key is to keep your burn rate really low at all times and your savings rate high when working. That generates strong cash flow.

The real secret is to stop rewarding yourself with monetary rewards every time you feel great, crappy or unworthy. Buying confidence or satisfaction is effin’ sad.

Crazy Great Times

Nine months into my new gig things are starting to really heat up. We had a fantastic web and client release last week that so far have gotten great reviews from our users. That makes all 24/7 work worth it.

We have also announced our expansion into Europe which is my old home grounds. Europeans will love our service since publisher’s over there are even stoggier then here in the US.

And there are tons more good stuff in the pipe which will keep me busy for the next few months. But that’s life in a startup. You make a bet, break the rules and work smarter and faster then the current incumbents to win. Anyone that’s not living on the edge is just waisting space and time.

2 Months Later

I cannot believe that I haven’t written a post for almost two months. That didn’t even happen when I semi-retired last year. We’ll I’ve been busy as hell, working on getting our client and web releases out as well as charging ahead on what’s next in the product pipeline.

It’s been a very productive and creative period. I’ve rediscovered the earlier Genesis (1969-1975), Rush and Judas Priest thanks to my buddy Sam. I’ve had friends and family swing by almost every weekend and I’ve been reading up on things (scrum, French politics, 70s progressive rock, the Inklings et cetera) as well as getting my Netflix on. I even think we went down to LA for a crazy weekend in May. Hard to remember.

Quote of The Week

Dr Kelso: Are you an idiot?
JD: No, I’m a dreamer!

Life is Short

The brother of a close family friend got shot and killed yesterday in Florida. His sister sent us a long emotional email telling us about the event. What really got my attention was when she said: He lived his life to the fullest – in the moment.

I can totally relate to that. I don’t believe in God or any other religion. I just believe that we are here on earth for a short period of time and have to embrace life and living as much as we can. Anyone of us could die at any moment so make sure that every second counts.

The older I get the less I care about monetary rewards and social status. What I love the most is when the Missus and I just hangout in San Francisco over the weekend, meet up with friends and enjoy life. Everything else is secondary. A short walk to the coffee shop or a stroll down to Crissy Fields is the greatest adventure. Matthew – RIP!

Finally A True Religion

I ran into the brilliant Church of the SubGenius, perfectly in time for the generally accepted Easter holiday. A healthy blend of freethinking and hegemonism.

Work, Pleasure & Money

Charles Baudelaire has always been one of my favorite poets. He wrote Les Fleurs de Mal (Flowers of Evil) in 1857:

“We are weighed down, every moment, by the conception and the sensation of Time. And there are but two means of escaping and forgetting this nightmare: pleasure and work. Pleasure consumes us. Work strengthens us. Let us choose.”

Then I read a post on LinkedIn, arguing that money is energy. Hmm – money is nothing but a currency to enable global trade: x for y.

But I do agree on pleasure and work. It’s life.

Why I Love California

I got Bob Dylan’s Hurricane on from his Desire album. The Missus just dropped of a few bottles of Baron de Ley from 2001. And I got some sweet ribeye’s to throw on the barbie. In addition some french fries properly fried in duck fat.

It’s mid-March and the sun has been reviving every human, plant and animal across Northern California for the past 2-3 weeks. This weekend is going to be all shorts and t-shirt toasty.

My plan is flip-flops, cigar and just chillin’ w/ my homies. When it’s time it’s time. Life is short and the California sun is free!