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Hiring is a lot of the times more about finding someone that'll fit in your current team than about an individual with a lot of skill/enthusiasm. You don't sound very reliable and that would be my main concern. Even if you were working for nothing, it would still be a waste of the time invested if you are just going to leave in a month or two.

You should go into academia. I think that model is more what you are looking for.

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I'm an academic, and I do not think it's what he's looking for. Most Ph.D. and postdoc-level research involves much less flexibility and much more tedium than it sounds like he's looking for. The overall project should be very interesting, yes, but the day-to-day work usually still requires plenty of boring bits. And while I'm sure there are some labs that would allow remote work on a flexible schedule, it's not the general culture in the places I have experience. CS might be different--it's not my field. But I'm skeptical.

I have a phd and have postdoc'ed at a couple of places also. I am now in industry.

Sure, there are boring bits. But I think what he is more looking for is being able to explore the space and more open-endedness to projects, which I do think academia affords. It might also mean he'll never really produce anything and keep going down rabbit-holes. But that can be enjoyable.

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