afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2021—2023

FI/RE becomes parenthood and a small software business

Alex left Meta after reaching his FI/RE target, but open-ended leisure felt aimless. Children changed both his days and his financial needs. Developing his own app offered an alternative to corporate work, with new creative satisfaction and continuing uncertainty.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2021-04 · Household
Not established

Departure balance not disclosed in the reviewed narrative sources.

Source
Posts2
2021
Post 01Recalled in 2026

An unstructured first year

“I had this weird feeling that life was actually happier and more fulfilling before FIRE.”

Alex HsuRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • He and his wife spent long nights gaming in Seattle.
  • Occasional attempts at independent development produced little.

How it felt

  • Leisure felt relaxing but directionless. “chill, but also aimless”
  • He wondered whether life had been more fulfilling before FI/RE. “happier and more fulfilling”
ParenthoodCreativityWork
Alex Hsu (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Explicit retrospective period in later article

Two years of freedom and confusion

Editorial summaries with short, attributed quotations. The original contains the full story.

2023
Post 02Recalled in 2026

Parenting and a product take over

“I experienced the joy of being a one-person company.”

Alex HsuRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • His second child arrived while relatives helped with childcare.
  • He released paid features for his Japanese-learning app and met his initial revenue target.

How it felt

  • Building something customers paid for brought satisfaction. “the joy of being a one-person company”
  • Higher family costs had made the original financial cushion feel less comfortable. “less comfortable”
ParenthoodCreativityWork
Alex Hsu (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Explicit retrospective period in later article

Family costs; MARU Kana Drill

Editorial summaries with short, attributed quotations. The original contains the full story.

See how these posts compare with other people’s experiences.

Research

Last checked Sep 2026. The accounts are self-reported. This timeline follows selected accounts, including recollections where labeled; it is not a complete archive.

  • Only the cited dated experiences are verified; later developments are not inferred.
  • Selected public self-reports, not a complete archive or independent verification of finances.

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