Oh yeah, let me say, my year+ of trying this wasn't a waste either.
I updated my skills, learned new tech, and tried stuff I never would have got to try in a normal work situation. I got to dick around with pretty UI on Monday and backend performance on Tuesday.
So a sabbatical of sorts wasn't a terrible idea -- I'd just do it differently. Ensuring a good iterative environment (social context, regular advisor meetings, customer contact) would be my #1 priority.
I updated my skills, learned new tech, and tried stuff I never would have got to try in a normal work situation. I got to dick around with pretty UI on Monday and backend performance on Tuesday.
So a sabbatical of sorts wasn't a terrible idea -- I'd just do it differently. Ensuring a good iterative environment (social context, regular advisor meetings, customer contact) would be my #1 priority.