I've met a few, and they are a rare treasure, but in nearly every case my time with them is limited as something always happens that sees them gone. Whether it's retirement, getting ousted by the board, selling the company, or death (by cancer), it seems like whoever is brought in afterwards is always worse.

It really seems like wherever I get hired, the situation always changes dramatically after 1-2 years and the workplace goes downhill. My work life is like a continuous series of bait-and-switches. It is really, really tiresome.

Here is to hoping that self-employment is not so dramatic.