> As soon as I get paid for what I love, it becomes a job. Work. And I hate work.

I disagree. I hate typical work (cubicles, meetings, gossip etc.) too but getting paid to code does not necessarily imply work. There are so many things I want to code, from dynamic warehouse simulator in three.js and VOIP over HTML5 audio/websockets to Arduino wireless sensor-fed dashboards and in-memory DB apps. But time being a limiting factor, I can't just spend weeks and months on a fun project at the expense of taking care of bills and family. So if someone's paying me to do the things I want to do anyway, I'm a happy camper!

I think the happy medium between #1 and #2 is selective consulting. It takes time to build a clientele where you can pick and choose your projects. But it sure beats working for the man. And it's very different from being a technical co-founder - fewer responsibilities, more time to code.

What is that kudos dog barking at the bottom about?