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Comment by retrac98 | Hacker News Reader

Seems kinda selfish to risk your family's wellbeing for the sake of your business dream.

If they are all active in the family project as implied, then I think their children have a high chance of being notable and employable whether or not they make a dent in the market as a startup.

It seems like they are giving their children a chance in life that is a little less morbid than waiting to inherit half a house.

Or perhaps the parents are setting their children up to have to support them in their dotage as they no longer have a home of their own, putting further strain on their children when they may already be facing a difficult economic future. There are ways to do this and selling the farm is one of, if not the, worst ways.

Many parents of that generation leave important jobs to be unemployable, maintain their unrealistic costs of living until or beyond retirement age and leave their children with nothing but complications.

That there might be better ways doesn't mean they are as bad as the average. I'd take 4X at these odds at 10X the average UK salary (even if 2 of them might be short careers) and a possible business over a less than certain chance of 2 mediocre UK employee lives with not as many family obligations. But each to their own.

"many" is unquantifiable but it suggests lots, I don't see that being the case. In the UK house prices tend to result in the parents downsizing to afford retirement and/or end of life care. I'm not saying they should let the kids inherit the house, I'm just saying that they could have ensured that their children did not need to support them when they may be trying to buy their own home or start their own families.

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