I'm faced with an interesting decision for my last semester of college. I'm required to do a senior design project, which might seem like an excellent chance to do whatever I want, but unfortunately the UT assumes ownership of any IP developed through the project. This means I can't or rather, won't, use any of my pet projects.
As it would happen, I'm left with two very different options. The first is to take on a very bold, challenging project with a good friend of mine. The subject has just recently emerged into the main-stream and promises to be very important for at least the next five years. It's enticing, but possibly would be too much to handle well, in addition to my own projects, work and classwork. So I'd have to drop something else to accomodate it...
The second option is to work with my current employer, SigmaTel, on a project which is useful and will be interesting in the sense that it's my code that I "own" that I've written and designed from scratch. The problem is interesting but lacks the gee-whiz factor of the former project. Of course there's a big bonus in the fact that I'd be getting paid to do it for SigmaTel. And, in the end, combining work and my Senior Design project will make for a much more livable semester, and may even give me more time for my other exploits.
So, in review, I'm selecting a semi-mundane, paid-for project over a bold, daring (but possibly over-reaching), unpaid project with a hot new technology. So am I selling out? Should someone with bold dreams throw caution to the wind and take on the big problems, no matter what?