I think this is a great set of articles - the undercurrent I saw was that in his early days, Cuban was disciplined as a matter of course. If I had been as disciplined at 24, I think I'd be pursuing my own ideas full time right now. The one big difference for me is I don't drive by big houses and want to be in one - I talk to my friends with trust funds and envy them the free time they have. I want to make a big win so that I can write my own software, full time. I think we are in the midst of a cultural sea change and that writing software is as valid a form of artistic expression as any. It's amazing the impact individuals and small groups can have today. My hope in making a big win early in life is to spend the next 50 years writing the software I want to write - and exploring the research topics I want to explore.