It's definitely about having the right attitude. I was able to find a job that gives me a lot of autonomy, but also direction. At the moment, I quite enjoy letting someone else make the big decisions for me!
I might do the independent thing again, but I'm going to be a lot more careful and deliberate about it. I've decided that the "throw yourself to the wind and then buckle down" model romanticized in startup cowboy culture is questionable. This time I'm being a spreadsheet nazi, and with my own finances as well as the venture's, and I'm making much more pessimistic assumptions about uptake. I'm also going for something where I can bill customers directly, not something that requires B2B selling. The latter is really hard to do for a little guy. B2B could come later if the product is successful in the open product market.