What if financial independence meant doing work you enjoy rather than stopping work altogether? Dexter Zhuang joins Adrian Tan to discuss his shift from pursuing FIRE to exploring semi-retirement.
Dexter shares his journey from San Francisco’s tech industry to life abroad, including Singapore and Mexico City. He reflects on aligning work with personal values, using side projects to build skills and connections, and how culture influences ideas about money and careers.
In this episode:
• Why FIRE did not fully fit Dexter’s values.
• Semi-retirement and finding work you want to keep doing.
• Career transitions, side hustles and learning new skills.
• Cultural perspectives on money and the future of work.
Originally published in August 2024. This episode shares personal experiences and perspectives from the original conversation.
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Dexter Zhuang
01:17 From the US to Singapore and beyond
05:46 Financial independence and FIRE
10:04 Semi-retirement
14:03 Career transitions
17:39 The value of side hustles
23:34 Cultural perspectives on money
30:36 Financial independence and AI
35:25 Career advice for the next generation
39:41 Conclusion
Dexter’s newsletter: https://www.moneyabroad.co/
Connect with Dexter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dexterzhuang/
More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/
