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# The Purple Zone
- URL: https://www.btfl.org/the-purple-zone/
- Published: 2026-09-14T21:16:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T21:16:14.000Z
- Author: Jeff Swearingen

There's a recurring theme in my post-exit, post-economic group. I call it the Venn diagram of doom.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/84/de/84dee23b-d612-4316-896c-6b32d026e45b/content/images/2026/09/Purple-zone.jpg)

My below average grade-school sketch may give you the entire story, but allow me to elaborate.

When asked why they started a business, most in my group would use the word "freedom" in their explanation. Money is great, but it's the ability to do whatever the hell you want to do that's the real prize.

The blue circle of the Venn diagram is just this. Sweet freedom and independence from commitment, schedules, anyone counting on you for anything. You can do absolutely anything you want, any time you want, anywhere you want, with anyone you want, for as long as you want. Great!!!

But wait... there's a catch.

After a period of celebration and recharging post-exit, many find themselves longing for something that's hard to quantify.

For some, this is a call to return to business, do it again. For others, it's a call to give back to the world or take on a project. For me, it boils down to this:

"I miss pursuing an important objective with people I like, trust and respect."

I hunger for the red circle.

Seems easy, right?

But what if engaging in something new infringed on your hard-earned freedom? What if there are a few inches of fresh powder on the most perfect ski day of the season and you've signed up to host a meeting? Well... that's the price of living a life with some meaning and purpose.

Anything that doesn't infringe on your blue circle will likely be superfluous, a hobby at best and bad habits at worst.

In this weird space between (let's call it the gap of doom) I found myself bouncing around anxiously for years. Trying on new ideas for projects, ventures that I kept discarding because I was protecting my blue circle. You probably have too.

So I challenge you to find the thing in the overlap, inside the purple zone that's worthy of the sacrifice of your hard-earned freedom. For me it's running the BTFL community, building a retreat center for founders, a bit of mentoring and a few other projects and quests.

If it's not worthy of the overlap, it doesn't belong in your life. But if you don't allow anything to pierce the sacred blue circle of freedom, I think you'll find your independence isolating and frustrating.

Find the purple zone!