I make $400k a year on a side project. I can do no work on it at all and still make $400k this year because the money is residual. It took 5 years to get to this point. The first 18 months, I made $0.

I could sell this side project for $1M easily.

I could grow it if I want to and make $500k next year.

I could write a blog and grow my personal brand on how I made this side project.

There are lots of opportunities this side project has opened up that working at my SV eng job can't provide.