The article does say, "I’m not talking stupid risks. But smart, calculated ones." :)
1. "set for life" - not necessarily, plus you would have to sell the drugs, etc.
2. just lose 4-6 years of your life - criminal penalties likely greater
3. horrible effects of prison on your psyche and future work possibilities
4. possible death from involvement w/ criminal underworld
5. with a start-up you get transferable experience
Other reasons why this is a stupid comment:
1. Learn to spell succeed
2. Learn to spell lose
If you are not a native speaker, I apologize for #1 but #2 can be corrected with a spellcheck plugin. But it seems like you just typed quickly without thinking your comment through.