i’m retiring

“you are the youngest person i know who retired.”

–arnold, still working

last week, at 26 years old, i retired.

never again will i fill out a W-4. or get free health insurance. or save PTO.

for long-time readers, this isn’t a surprise. i don’t believe humans are meant to work. (although we enjoy building things…)

so i’m not going to do that anymore.

non-obvious benefits of retirement

i’m only 6 days in, but here’s what i’ve learned about retirement:

• you wake up earlier than when you had a job
• productivity explodes
• sense of purpose presents itself

for example, an hour ago i finished my to-do list for the entire week. i never finish my todo list.

maybe now i’ll have two.

making ends meet

social security won’t exist when we (millenials, americans) turn 65.

it’s perhaps the greatest Pyramid Scheme of all time; one the government mandates us to participate in.

so what can we do to “secure our future?”

saving helps. sure.

but there are 2 ways to increase your runway: make more, or spend less.

that’s why in preparation of this move, i launched simple shopify apps to generate passive income.

within 60 days, i’ll have 2 more apps that are even better.

my team @usefomo is launching a new side project next week… who wants in? pic.twitter.com/uKZz5K1pCc

— ryan kulp (@ryanckulp) March 7, 2017

(if you’re reading this and think, “but you can code!…,” see here and buckle up.)

thriving as a 26 year old retiree

while passive income is great, it’s not enough to sustain my lifestyle.

Moving into a new loft. #nyc

A post shared by Ryan Kulp (@ryanckulp) on Nov 17, 2016 at 10:28am PST

within hours of early retirement, by the grace of God, new opportunities filled my inbox.

in case you think i’m exaggerating, a synopsis:

1. business – full-time product marketing role (out, i’m retired)
2. code – SMS daily deal platform for a winery
3. business/code – sales outreach machine that personalizes images
4. business – SEO for a social network

so “rent” and “money” are not really an issue.

instead, choosing happiness is my new litmus test for deciding what to do every morning when i wake up.

(hint: meeting for coffee/drinks and responding to email do not pass the test.)

why you should retire early

i don’t usually tell people what to do. my marketing ideas are mere posits, concluding with a question or a challenge.

but today, i’m grabbing you by the tie.

stop doing what you don’t like, and figure out how to get paid for what you do like.

this isn’t my advice. idk if the sage can even be traced.

but it’s something we all agree with, deep in our hearts. some us believe it deeper than others, and a thing called “inspiration” helps it surface.

or maybe you’re fully on board, but you’re waiting for the Right Moment.

below are a few Right Moments, from my observations:

• $1,000,000 in the bank
• mortgage paid off
• kids’ college fund saved

notice something? every reason is rooted in money.

we trade creativity and joy and talents for… cash. it’s backwards.

money should be exchanged for more life.

here’s the worst that can happen if you retire today.

1. in XX days/months/years, you run out of money
2. you get another job, fill out a W-4, get free health insurance, and save up PTO

maybe i’m missing something, but this 2-step recovery looks like something people with jobs do, too.

what’s next

today i woke up and emailed some customers. i wrote some code, and listened to thug rap music.

tomorrow i’m recording a video for the Dunkin Donuts music contest.

friday i have a routine Physical, since my health insurance runs out in 23 days.

this weekend? the rest of my life? who knows.