Whitexican problems we call it here in Mexico: I'm in a similar position. 6 digit USD salary while living in Mexico. My problem is that I've been wanting to setup a business: real life like a gym, a store or similar.
The issue is that there's no way I'll get as much money as what I'm earning now... and I know building the business will require insurmountable efforts.
So I'm reduced to keep working in IT, wait until my good luck ends and hopefully be able to retire around 45
You are not "reduced" to do that. You are making that choice, that's all. Nobody is forcing you. If you badly wanted to create a business, you'd just go ahead and do it.
regardless of whether or not you believe it's just "making that choice," completely discrediting somebody's claim the effort is insurmountable _to them_ makes you a breaker of Rule 1
Well it is objectively surmountable and if it personally isn’t to them that means that the money is more important to them than achieving that goal to make a business. I don’t see how this isn’t a choice? “I’m not doing it since the insecurity of not having a high income is scarier than my desire to open a business”
That said I do bet that if you try to do your thing and it really doesn’t work out you probably can go back to software afterwards if you’re open to the risk of burning through your savings in the process.
Most people in his country put food on family table without US-level software developer salary. It's hard to lower expectations of life quality, but let's not dramatize.
Lol i came back to my comment and saw this thread... English is not my first language so you are right, I'm sorry my choice of word got people worked up.
I am curious… why do you want to start a business? It seems like so much work for less pay. Why is the option of working until you retire early a bad thing?
Not the OP but I'd love to do something that contributes to the local community in a more tangible way than my current $BIGTECH job. I'd love to start a dance studio, a cafe/bookstore, a makerspace. But it'd be a huge pay cut, assuming I could even make a successful business out of it.
Your paying higher taxes contributes likely more to the community than another store.
Your paying a local charity usually does much more to the community than even running a gym.
If you run a store or a cafe by just paying locals to work in it, using a part of your high wages, it's pretty helpful. But see the charity above; maybe it's better to support e.g. educators.
In general, your community is never better off if you suddenly become poorer.
Using the money to pay others to start more local schools, maybe a free coding bootcamp (with entrance tests), maybe maybe could be a high impact thing to do?
Or a charity yes (unless of course it's sth like a SPA for dogs)
It's just because I've been working in Technology all my life. I've got a PhD in CompSci, I've grown the tech teams of 2 startups, I've worked in different areas... and I just dont really find it that fulfilling anymore. The pay is outrageously good... but at this point it's mainly just that. After 20 years of doing it, it just isnt the same.
The issue is that there's no way I'll get as much money as what I'm earning now... and I know building the business will require insurmountable efforts.
So I'm reduced to keep working in IT, wait until my good luck ends and hopefully be able to retire around 45