Enjoyed the conversation but humbly suggest the contributors aren’t considering several increasing segments of society as they have a background of running successful businesses. Other folks operate from a different gestalt. These folks aren’t being driven by any business model. To my mind fall into three general groups.
Slackers-not interested in getting ahead nor being stressed in any work environment.
Those seeking a “meaningful life” - have two daughters. One does cancer research at Farber. She several times a year gets offers from industry and could start at 3-4 times her current income. The other works fund raising at a non profit so is in daily contact with ceo, cfo, coo types. She has business and “leadership “ degrees giving her initials after her name. Again she gets repetitive offers at multiples of her current income to work on the other side. Both want enough to comfortably raise a family and never worry about Payless Paydays. Beyond that not driven by income. One is the major breadwinner (husband a school teacher). The other equal (husband an engineer). Chance of either working for industry is remote.
Those who don’t find work a defining element of who they are- this maybe the largest group will use a couple of nephews as examples highly but have multiple nieces and nephews in this group. He did his twenty as a air force officer. Then became a civilian employee (part time) and consultant (also part time). Commonly will put it down for 1 to 4 months and travel. Might bicycle through Europe or a walking tour of SA or SE Asia. Hasn’t lived in the US for decades. Will fully retire in early fifties.
Another nephew went to college but decided he had no interest in doing the inside work for which he studied. He’s a musician. Decided to chuck it and became a union journeyman glazier. Makes a decent living but his energies are in his music.
The universal point is a significant segment of the gen A, Z, X & Y have zero interest in “getting ahead”. The issue of hours spent for dollars received is not part of the calculus. The interest is in living a “good life”. Walking in beauty (Navaho expression), golden path (Buddhist expression), giving back ( universal to all traditions).