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An open letter to nostr:npub1k7vkcxp7qdkly7qzj3dcpw7u3v9lt9cmvcs6s6ln26wrxggh7p7su3c04l and any other bitcoiners who have shared a similar experience. #asknostr

I’ve got a problem…

I’m a 40 year old orthopaedic surgeon who has been obsessively stacking sats since I first went down the rabbit hole, within several months of taking my first job. If you subscribe to any of the long term price models, at a minimum we should see bitcoin growing at >25% ARR for over a decade, I should have about 3 times what is needed to comfortably retire. I now have the ability to walk away from a job that is capturing 40 hours of my life per week, allowing me to focus energy on family and other various pursuits that I deem appropriate/worthy of my time.

Sounds great, I know. but what I’ve realized is that regardless of the runway capital I’ve secured, emotionally its a significant leap to walk away from a job you spent 15 years training for. Can you imagine the anxiety/anguish you’d face if you chose to walk away, but were later forced to return to work, only to find that the lapse has reduced your skills or limited your ability to practice at your previous level of expertise?

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this lately and have realized we may be part of an exceptionally small group of people with this opportunity. And, as such a small group, its difficult to find others to bounce ideas or offer emotional support as we navigate these uncharted waters.

If you or anyone you know has recently given up a wage slave position that required an immense amount of training, I want to hear from you! Please reach out so that we can build the resources needed for our growing niche

less 11mo ago

This is a very difficult question/problem to answer... since there isn't a blanket right or wrong answer for all.

The issues you are struggling with are the very same as the ones I have personally dealt with.

Being a physician and helping people is awesome, but being a part of the (very) broken US healthcare system is frustrating.

If you are like me, then you will do poorly with a simple, traditional "retirement." -- So, I would recommend that, if you do leave your orthopedic surgery practice, you retire "to" something, rather that just retiring "from" being a surgeon.

I get stir crazy unless I am doing or building something challenging and/or helping other people.

Finally, I would recommend thinking about your bitcoin savings in bear market terms, not just in current USD prices or--especially--bull market prices.

If the USD price drops 60% next month and stays depressed for 24 months, can you still survive without your orthopedic income? If so, retirement is probably a good option. If not, keep working and stacking sats.

Not sure if any of this helps. But I think that you are thinking about it correctly.

Cheers.

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Discussion

The Bitcoin Bang 11mo ago

Men must feel purpose. There must be a mountain to climb.

Find a new mountain.

Embracing deep change is difficult — but if it truly feels right — you must.

mcsnubbs 11mo ago

Thanks, Jeff!

One thing Ive realized is that there is a sense of guilt you feel when contemplating an early exit from the arena of fiat wage slave. Just thinking about the opportunity can induce the emotion… let alone what happens when you actually discuss the problem with an individual who continues to work and hasn’t even started planning their retirement.

I also appreciate the idea to “retire to something” and can imagine your fund has provided that avenue for you. Cheers!

If you run into any other physicians or other professionals with similar predicaments, send them my way. I’d love to build a community focused on guidance/support as our numbers grow.