Is there a life before you start your own?

When you grow up in Turkey (*) you have to face several prejudgments. Starting from your choice of university to industry you work. You know, cases like just after you mention where you study you feel like you need to give an excuse. In Turkey you have to pass a national exam to enter the university and go to a department according to your score (from a long list of your choices of course). When I was studying it was quite common to hear someone saying “but it was my first choice” (meaning, it was not that I couldn’t go somewhere else but I wanted to study this). Same sort of need to explain yourself was visible for, let’s say, staying in university, choosing a state institute to work in, choosing to stay in the country… Now I kinda feel the same for choosing to work in a company instead of making the jump and moving the other side of the fence. You see/hear all those startups with a shining story: from garage to billions. Internet is full of stories with people starting their own companies and starting their own companies to give advice to start your own company… It feels like I am the only one (even this is questionable) left behind. But yet, we are many and yet for some it was our first choice.

I have been playing with this idea (to choose to be an employee) for a while. What does it mean? Why one would choose such thing (this is an easy one)? How one would be happy with it (this is the hard one)? I will try to write down my thoughts here. Who knows I might come with some answers.

* I am sure you can put other country names here as well.