Two roads diverged, and I chose the one that takes me forever to explain

3 years ago, I had every reason to start a company. Experience, investors, a war chest, and a Notion doc with 100+ ideas I'd spent years building. Instead, I wrote a post-apocalyptic novel.This essay is about the road I prepared for, then didn't take. I cover:The Notion doc full of company ideas that still exists, still waiting...Why the "obvious move" can feel like a trapWhat happens when you disappear from the identity everyone expected you to keepThe people who walk away when you choose the weird road — and the ones who don't👉 For more essays: https://newsletter.thewayofwork.com👉 More about me: https://www.rickfoerster.comRick Foerster is a recovering startup executive who helped build and grow a company from zero to $2B+, then left that life to start writing. He writes about meaning, identity, and reinvention @ The Way of Work. His debut novel is coming soon — a post-apocalyptic survival story with a psychological bite.The Way of Work is essays on meaning, identity, and ambition for people who suspect work can't deliver what it promised — without the hustle-guru nonsense.