Comfortably Numb No More

[pmusu]

Hi everybody, I joined the forum 2 months ago and have tried to actively contribute after reading Andy’s advice. I’m Pablo, 33 years old, from Argentina. I moved to Amsterdam 7 years ago. Growing up, I always had an entrepreneurial itch, but over time, the fire turned into a flickering ember and I settled for a comfortable, normal life.

I graduated with a degree in Software Engineering and got a nice 9-5 job. For the past 10 years, the game has been to get bigger paychecks in bigger companies. I always did a good job but never felt motivated to give my all at work. Outside of work, I gave 110% to whatever goal I had in mind.

I was surrounded by people who believed that a comfortable job that pays well is the dream. They said a job is something you do to enjoy life after you clock out. It never felt enough for me, but I wasn’t ready to leave my golden cage.

After getting my shit together (finances, health, mindset, relationships) and experiencing some midlife crises, the entrepreneurial itch returned. I found TMF , or maybe it found me, and realized I was a textbook slowlaner, living frugally and buying index funds, hoping for early retirement.

I want control over my life. I’ve opened my eyes, and the truth can’t be unseen. I’ve gathered the courage to take a leap of faith. I still don’t know how to best serve the market, though. I have 10 years of experience in tech and worked for some Silicon Valley companies. I’ve also had experience in education, with 5 years of being a teaching assistant at my university.

I love reading, but I’m switching to team producer. I’m writing and trying to build a personal brand. I acknowledge that, at the moment, this is serving my ego rather than someone’s need. I would love to connect with people who need what I can offer. Serve others, not myself.

What’s next in my life? I’m quitting my job and taking a sabbatical to travel. I need time off to focus on the next chapter of my life. I have savings to go without a 9-5 for some time, especially in Asia where I want to travel. Worst case scenario, I find another job and go back to where I was.

Growing up in a poor country instills a scarcity mindset. It took time to change my views even after I left poverty behind. The threat of having nothing still lingers in the dark.

I’m single, with no kids, and my family has good health, so no strings attached. I want to use this time off to unplug and explore. I don’t want to live in The Netherlands at this moment; it served me well for 7 years, but life without sunshine has become torture. The part in TMF where MJ moves from Chicago to Phoenix resonated with me.

I want freedom to do and live how I want. A privilege many of you have earned and I’m starting to pursue.

Thanks for reading and for how welcoming you have been so far!

 

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[Gypsy Soul]

Hi everybody, I joined the forum 2 months ago and have tried to actively contribute after reading Andy’s advice. I’m Pablo, 33 years old, from Argentina. I moved to Amsterdam 7 years ago. Growing up, I always had an entrepreneurial itch, but over time, the fire turned into a flickering ember and I settled for a comfortable, normal life.

I graduated with a degree in Software Engineering and got a nice 9-5 job. For the past 10 years, the game has been to get bigger paychecks in bigger companies. I always did a good job but never felt motivated to give my all at work. Outside of work, I gave 110% to whatever goal I had in mind.

I was surrounded by people who believed that a comfortable job that pays well is the dream. They said a job is something you do to enjoy life after you clock out. It never felt enough for me, but I wasn’t ready to leave my golden cage.

After getting my shit together (finances, health, mindset, relationships) and experiencing some midlife crises, the entrepreneurial itch returned. I found TMF , or maybe it found me, and realized I was a textbook slowlaner, living frugally and buying index funds, hoping for early retirement.

I want control over my life. I’ve opened my eyes, and the truth can’t be unseen. I’ve gathered the courage to take a leap of faith. I still don’t know how to best serve the market, though. I have 10 years of experience in tech and worked for some Silicon Valley companies. I’ve also had experience in education, with 5 years of being a teaching assistant at my university.

I love reading, but I’m switching to team producer. I’m writing and trying to build a personal brand. I acknowledge that, at the moment, this is serving my ego rather than someone’s need. I would love to connect with people who need what I can offer. Serve others, not myself.

What’s next in my life? I’m quitting my job and taking a sabbatical to travel. I need time off to focus on the next chapter of my life. I have savings to go without a 9-5 for some time, especially in Asia where I want to travel. Worst case scenario, I find another job and go back to where I was.

Growing up in a poor country instills a scarcity mindset. It took time to change my views even after I left poverty behind. The threat of having nothing still lingers in the dark.

I’m single, with no kids, and my family has good health, so no strings attached. I want to use this time off to unplug and explore. I don’t want to live in The Netherlands at this moment; it served me well for 7 years, but life without sunshine has become torture. The part in TMF where MJ moves from Chicago to Phoenix resonated with me.

I want freedom to do and live how I want. A privilege many of you have earned and I’m starting to pursue.

Thanks for reading and for how welcoming you have been so far!

Hey bro welcome to the team. Your story is amazing how you lift yourself up from poverty and made it to big Silicon Valley tech companies. That's freaking amazing man. I just spent a month in Thailand earlier this year. I know that travel will be like self healing for your mind and soul. For me it is the best medicine for when I want to reset and generate new ideas. Meet new people along the way. See how other countries economies operate.

I would love to hear how you came up from Argentina. I wanted to invest in Argentina but the inflation is so bad I cannot cope with the instability.

Silicon Valley must have been a real grind!

 

[pmusu]

Your story is amazing how you lift yourself up from poverty and made it to big Silicon Valley tech companies.

Thanks for your kind reply.

I don't want this to be misinterpreted. The perception of poverty is always deceiving. Being poor in Argentina means dying of starvation, literally. We always had food on the table and my parents gave everything to send me to university. In the Argentinean context, I wasn't poor.

Still, I had to push harder than people in developed countries. This felt like a curse but it is now an advantage. I used to lament not growing up in Europe, but the same hammer that shatters the glass forges the steel. Looking back on all the hardships I endured I'm glad they happened. They made me who I am.

I wanted to invest in Argentina but the inflation is so bad I cannot cope with the instability.

A Nobel Prize in economics once said: "There are four types of countries: developed, undeveloped, Japan, and Argentina.". Argentina was in the top 10 GDP per capita 100 years ago. Now, more than 50% of the population lives in poverty.

To foster a good environment for investments, you need strong institutions. To build strong institutions, you need a track record of credibility. Trust takes years to build and minutes to be destroyed.

I love Argentina. It takes a strong reason for someone to become an immigrant. No one wants to leave their family and friends, their food and culture. Some people move out because they want to explore the world, but they always know they can come back.

That's not my case as I don't feel I can return if I want to have a decent quality of life. At the same time, The Netherlands is an amazing country but I don't feel at home here. Part of this time for myself is finding a place I can call home.