1) In a capitalist economy, the low-hanging fruit tend to disappear fast. This is by design. Unfortunately, the design is such that you can't have 1 great idea and then just rest on your laurels forever. On the bright side, this compels you to give more to the world, even as it challenges you to maintain balance.
2) In a career with a large creative (read: risky) component, it seems that booms and busts are the norm. I've seen this in web dev a lot- one year I'm unemployed for almost the whole year (but hey, I was the first death knight to level 80 on the server, sigh), another year you're making six figures at a hot-shot startup.
I think that the pros outweigh the cons, but you MUST be pragmatic about money and save for the downturns. I'm psyched that you enjoyed your boom times, but I think your lesson was well-learned.
2) In a career with a large creative (read: risky) component, it seems that booms and busts are the norm. I've seen this in web dev a lot- one year I'm unemployed for almost the whole year (but hey, I was the first death knight to level 80 on the server, sigh), another year you're making six figures at a hot-shot startup.
I think that the pros outweigh the cons, but you MUST be pragmatic about money and save for the downturns. I'm psyched that you enjoyed your boom times, but I think your lesson was well-learned.