Life Fills Up

So really, it's just a matter of filling your life with the stuff you want it full of. Kids softball games seem like a fine thing to fill your life with, as does 80 hour weeks trying to build the next Twitter, as does 10 hour weeks trying to build the thing that makes it so you don't have to work anymore, as does spending 4 nights a week in the climbing gym so that one day you might be able to redpoint an 8a.

The sad thing, though, is that most people tend to fill their life with Simpsons reruns and 60 hour weeks at their salaried in-house developer job (because it's crunch time). If you find yourself doing that, stop. Find something you'd actually like to see your life filled with and make it a priority to do that thing.

Is a life full of watching sports events and chit-chatting in you social club something you want? Or do you want more than that?

I don't think that was intentional, but his characterization of socializing and athletics as lesser pursuits reflects where he's ended up. (I'm using a little artistic license here to make a point, he does say watching sporting events -- he didn't indicate how he feels about participating in athletics and being active.)

> I, on the other hand, have always been very misery with how I used to spend my time.

(He meant miserly)

I just think they're more likely to work on unsexy stuff because they know more about business having worked in it and less about socialising.

There's so many problems you don't even realise exist when you're a 20-odd year old founder because you've not actually spent any time in the business world.

A spouse, a mortgage, children, student loans -- life quickly throws you all kinds of things that you don't have the option of escaping.

Once you've made the choice to get married and have children, yes, you cannot escape your choice. But life does not "throw" these things at you; you choose them. Some people do not make these choices, and therefore remain free of these constraints forever, regardless of age.