MnHPVA Guy

That is wrong on so many levels, it's hard to know where to start.

" He can soon find someone"
Do you know of even one competent framebuilder looking to give up his independence? Much less 3. Rivendell's been looking for a 2nd builder for a couple of years, so they can reduce their long waiting list and start making lugged tandems. And they're looking nationwide. (Admittedly you set the bar a bit higher when your frames start at $2500 than you would when a whole bike is sold for $850.)

"someone to do the hard work and become the supervisor"
If you don't realize the supervisor is the hardest worker on the team, either you've never been one, or you weren't a very good one.

"become the supervisor of 3 or more"
Terry, myself and several of our friends all agree that the best thing about being semi-retired/self-employed is no longer being responsible for the work and behavior of others.

"3 or more frames being done at the same time"
Do you know any framebuilders? I know dozens personally and hundreds through the internet. They are creative sorts who custom build each frame to suit the customer. That's what separates them from factory workers.

There are dozens of stories of successful framebuilders who crashed and burned when they decided to expand, hire people and go into limited production.

In our circle of friends, "semi-retired/self-employed" means you work when the weather's bad and ride when it's nice. We make a little money doing things we enjoy, but the money isn't the main goal. At a certain age you start to realize that time is worth more than money. Terry is 65 years old, and financially set for life. Not rich, but with all he needs for a lifestyle he enjoys.

These days he builds frames for the fun of it. At $850 for a complete bike, he's not making much more than minimum wage. BTW that price includes an Imron paint job that would cost about $200 if you brought a frame to him.