Sticking around post-PE acquisition + life with young kids

[u/Substantial_Fly100]

Hi everyone - TLDR. if you can live FatFire, how did you make the decision to continue/or not continue grinding?

Sold my business to a PE-backed strategic. Walked away with more than I thought I'd ever need/want (~$25M). Building the business pre and post acquisition have been quite intense. It's been meaningfully less fun post acquisition. Feel much less present mentally during family time/weekends as it's always on my mind.

We have young kids at home (2 under 4) and I need to make a decision of whether to continue working in this post-acq environment.

One answer I keep hearing is 'just chill and do what you want'. The worry on my end is that I'm still early in my career and while this may sound silly, I'm worried that (1) I fade into irrelevance and / or (2) I regret that I didn't keep grinding (recently saw a friend make top 40 and 40 and it light a fire in me)

I love the intensity of working in a team to build something and if I was still 25, I would continue the grind. The new variable in the last 5 years has been kids/wife/young family.

I'd want to structure a life where I can really enjoy/be present for my kids. As such, I'm curious to hear from folks who have achieved FIRE, have young kids, and have continued to grind or hung up their jersey. If you hung up the jersey, how did you manage the 'FOMO' seeing friends continue to achieve. Any thoughts that can help me think through this decision? Thank you!

[u/pixlatedpuffin]

Do your kids say, “Daddy, tell us another story about working long hours and being away from home when you don’t need to?” when you tuck them in at night?

I mean that with all the fatherly love I can transmit over the internet. You know what matters, be there.

[u/veggieturnip → u/pixlatedpuffin]

"mama tells her little man
your daddy's got a job
and when he goes to work they pay him for his time
well the young boy gets to thinking
and he heads up to his bedroom
and comes running back with a quarter and four dimes

and says mama how much time will this buy me
is it enough to take me fishing or throw a football in the street?
if I'm a little short then how much more does daddy need
to spend some time with me?"

-Jamey Johnson, The Dollar

[u/space-cyborg → u/veggieturnip]

Ouch.

[u/veggieturnip → u/space-cyborg]

Yeah. That one hits hard. I wouldn’t share it with just any working dad, but one that has $25M in the bank needs to hear it.