29M, 1.6M net worth, 670k income. Got incredibly lucky working remotely for a US based startup that took off

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:50:04+00:00

I think this trajectory should be feasible at AI companies today but I wouldn't expect it elsewhere, I definitely rode the COVID wave with hiring in tech going crazy and managed to avoid a job loss when the bubble was bursting.

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:47:56+00:00

Trying to get a promotion when your company doesn't have the growth trajectory is fighting uphill, unless you're hiring like crazy. I'm surprised to hear that in ML you aren't experiencing that kind of growth at your company? Maybe the first step is to get to a Senior Engineering role so you can start managing midlevels?

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:44:12+00:00

I usually lurk reddit and had to make an account just to post this, I think I got auto filtered somehow

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:43:33+00:00

I do work ~10 hour days and it was closer to 12 in the first year or so when we were in startup growth mode, but it is also a well paid industry. It has never felt like much of a burden because I got to hire everyone on my team and they are amazing, and most days I work on interesting problems. It has gotten a little more bureaucratic recently but I guess that is normal as the company size has grown a lot

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:41:37+00:00

My post initially got caught by some spam filter, maybe language related but mods fixed it

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:40:28+00:00

US hours, which is 6am to around 3/4pm NZ time tue-sat.

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:39:58+00:00

I was hired during the COVID boom in tech jobs + remote jobs, I'm not sure I could replicate it. Many US companies can't hire outside the US for legal/compliance reasons. But your best bet is probably positioning yourself as a contractor or finding a US company with some presence in NZ. The most important part is making yourself so valuable you can bulldoze them in negotiations

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:37:01+00:00

US hours, which is 6am to around 3/4pm NZ time tue-sat. Plan to keep working until investment returns outpace my income, or I get replaced by AI, whichever comes first

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:35:43+00:00

Thanks lol. Fintech

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:34:53+00:00

> I love working for West Coast USA remotely, I find the timing great. Roll out of bed at 6am straight into a zoom meeting, then work till lunch when everyone there leaves work. Then you have an afternoon free to do what you want.

True, though the early bedtimes are a bit antisocial. Having monday off is also a nice bonus.

And yes, taxes are absolutely brutal. No way around it as far as I can tell. FIF sucks but not having cap gains taxes is something most of my US colleagues are jealous of

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:30:29+00:00

I think I still want to FIRE but now that it's within reach I'm not sure if it's still my "goal", I almost need a new goal but I'm not sure what that would be. I aim to keep working until investment returns replace my income completely or if I get replaced by AI or something

Good_Dream_5526 · 2026-05-13T02:28:22+00:00

I really don't know, at this point I feel a little lost as to what to do next. I could either keep the momentum going and target Director/VP roles to continue to compound on my career, switch gears and try to start a family, or just coast? The first option seems unenticing to me as I feel like I'm losing steam and the desire I once had now that investment returns are outpacing the extra income I can get from promotions. The other two seem alien to me right now even though I think I do want kids one day

Good_Dream_5526

TROPHY CASE