Thank HN: The puzzle game I posted here 6 weeks ago got licensed by The Atlantic

Stupid question but I assume this licensing actually invoked being paid real money for it? I’m assuming this wasn’t 7 figures.

Clearly you made it as a labour of love, but if you were honest with yourself would you have made more as an uber driver, or maybe a tech employee, for the time you invested.

The payoff for this kind of creation needs to be evaluated over time. The creator not only makes money for the puzzle, but they also gained e.g. a worldwide audience and a great resume booster. In the future, if they want to launch another puzzle or write a book or get a job doing this, the door is wide open. There is no such upward path as an uber driver, unfortunately.