Philip Greenspun might be a good subject of an afternoon of reading for you. He went from academia to startup and back to academia. He's been pretty successful in both fields.
Randy Pausch, of "The Last Lecture" fame, talked about the subject in that lecture. Though he was coming at it from a slightly different perspective: become an Imagineer, which was a lifelong dream, or go back to teaching...he chose teaching. Working for Disney is not quite the same as starting a startup, though I imagine for some folks it would be the same kind of personal satisfaction...that of building something real.
I don't know that they've ever answered specifically why they made the decisions they made, but it couldn't hurt to get a feel for their thoughts.
Two other quick points, before I become a preachy bore:
1. If you're getting success in academia, you will probably also be able to get success in other fields, if you apply the same passion and excitement. The question shouldn't be "what will make me most successful?", it should be "what will make me most satisfied with my life?" As you get older, you'll recognize this more and more clearly...better to spot the trend early. Success will usually follow.
2. Academia, at least in technical fields, does not generally frown on success in the "real world". Success in business can be as good for your academic career as the papers you would have written and the research you would have done during that time. Again, follow your satisfaction and your excitement.
3. (I know I said 2...I discovered this one just now.) You will never be in a better position to take risks than you are now. As you age you collect responsibilities: Family, kids, parents needing care, mortgage payments, etc. These responsibilities are the things you can't risk to pursue your dreams...so, when you're older, you can't put as much in the game. You can still start a startup, or change careers, at any age, and experience certainly has benefits, but when it comes to risk, younger is better. Without family and kids, the risk is practically nil.
Randy Pausch, of "The Last Lecture" fame, talked about the subject in that lecture. Though he was coming at it from a slightly different perspective: become an Imagineer, which was a lifelong dream, or go back to teaching...he chose teaching. Working for Disney is not quite the same as starting a startup, though I imagine for some folks it would be the same kind of personal satisfaction...that of building something real.
I don't know that they've ever answered specifically why they made the decisions they made, but it couldn't hurt to get a feel for their thoughts.
Two other quick points, before I become a preachy bore:
1. If you're getting success in academia, you will probably also be able to get success in other fields, if you apply the same passion and excitement. The question shouldn't be "what will make me most successful?", it should be "what will make me most satisfied with my life?" As you get older, you'll recognize this more and more clearly...better to spot the trend early. Success will usually follow.
2. Academia, at least in technical fields, does not generally frown on success in the "real world". Success in business can be as good for your academic career as the papers you would have written and the research you would have done during that time. Again, follow your satisfaction and your excitement.
3. (I know I said 2...I discovered this one just now.) You will never be in a better position to take risks than you are now. As you age you collect responsibilities: Family, kids, parents needing care, mortgage payments, etc. These responsibilities are the things you can't risk to pursue your dreams...so, when you're older, you can't put as much in the game. You can still start a startup, or change careers, at any age, and experience certainly has benefits, but when it comes to risk, younger is better. Without family and kids, the risk is practically nil.