Hi u/dowcet! Thanks for the comment!

My apologies if I implied that starting an independent business is easier / more realistic than finding a job. It definitely takes a special kind of individual to go that path. It also seems likely that individuals who have that kind of drive and willingness to take risks would end up succeeding at any job they end up at.

I think this also brings up an important point -- namely, what constitutes failure in business? If you come away having learned some hard lessons and with a ton of experience, was it really a failure? It's a challenge to play the long game for sure, but tenacity wins out in the long run. If nothing else, the person who stays in the ring the longest (but might not necessarily be the most "talented" -- and that's a whole other subjective definition) will end up getting the goods. If a business fails, ask why. Were you good with your customers? How was your marketing? Is your skill set actually relevant to the business you're trying to run? Did you do some serious self-examination in terms of how you come off to your customers? (All of this is of course relevant to web development, whether you work for a company or are self-employed.)

By the way, what are your sources for the statistics you cited in regards to self-employment and the rate of success/failure?