Best ... and worst?

In the past week or two this blogger has spent a fair bit of time talking to friends and colleagues, one of whom is considering shuttling away from an academic career and setting up as a sole intellectual property consultant, while the other is pondering a move from a large firm to a small practice. In each case the person concerned has been assuming that "the grass is greener on the other side", not least because the career move under consideration is one based on escaping from an unhappy position rather than taking a positive step towards a desired goal.

These discussions set this blogger thinking: what words of comfort or caution might the readers of SOLO IP have for anyone thinking of taking the plunge? Suggestions are very welcome!