Ask HN: Do you regret leaving corporate for entrepreneurship?
I left my &quot;real job&quot; for entrepreneurship about 8 years ago (at age 23) and haven&#x27;t looked back. I&#x27;ve run several small companies since then, with a game server host[1] being the most recent.<p>I&#x27;m pretty happy with how it&#x27;s gone and I have no regrets over leaving. I was happy and well-treated in the real job, but nothing beats the freedom to work on what I want, when I want, using whichever technologies I want.<p>The biggest downsides for me:<p>1. Fewer opportunities to meet and collaborate with other nerds. I love working independently, but &quot;argue with smart people&quot; is a great way to refine your ideas. I wish I had more of that.<p>2. Fewer opportunities to learn from larger companies. Many companies have internal technologies, tools, processes, shell scripts, etc. that are truly inspired. Former employees get to take these ideas (though not the code itself) with them when they leave, to apply to future jobs or to their own startups. The more time you spend in the corporate world, the more of these tools you accumulate in your own tool belt.<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;indiehackers.com&#x2F;businesses&#x2F;arkservers-io" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;indiehackers.com&#x2F;businesses&#x2F;arkservers-io</a>