The exact same thing happened to me - startup, acquihire, quitting the acquirer, and joining a less sexy company, though in my case I got the bonus of moving to Switzerland.
You mention the desire and the ability to do great things, but not having the opportunity to follow through because of circumstances. It was the exact same feeling that led me to leave Silicon Valley, and I struggled for a long time with it before coming to a simple conclusion. Here's what I decided:
Greatness is a consequence, not an aim.
Have you ever read Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl? If not, read it now. It will convince you immediately that the same is true of happiness. You cannot simply wake up one morning, say "I want to be happy," and become happy through the mere force of your desire. You need to be living correctly; acting rightly; communicating and connecting well.
Likewise, naked ambition will not make you great. You have to shape that ambition with goals and methods and plans. Only once you are fully engaged in something you believe in will you be able to achieve the result you desire.
In other words, pursuing your will to greatness directly will only depress you, and won't make you any more successful. The way to greatness is developing your interests to the fullest, and working hard to gain expertise. Eventually, you will find an opportunity that you can seize, and your success will be a natural consequence of becoming fully engaged in the creative process.
Until then, know that you will eventually find your castle in the sky, after and because you have built the foundations under it.
You mention the desire and the ability to do great things, but not having the opportunity to follow through because of circumstances. It was the exact same feeling that led me to leave Silicon Valley, and I struggled for a long time with it before coming to a simple conclusion. Here's what I decided:
Greatness is a consequence, not an aim.
Have you ever read Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl? If not, read it now. It will convince you immediately that the same is true of happiness. You cannot simply wake up one morning, say "I want to be happy," and become happy through the mere force of your desire. You need to be living correctly; acting rightly; communicating and connecting well.
Likewise, naked ambition will not make you great. You have to shape that ambition with goals and methods and plans. Only once you are fully engaged in something you believe in will you be able to achieve the result you desire.
In other words, pursuing your will to greatness directly will only depress you, and won't make you any more successful. The way to greatness is developing your interests to the fullest, and working hard to gain expertise. Eventually, you will find an opportunity that you can seize, and your success will be a natural consequence of becoming fully engaged in the creative process.
Until then, know that you will eventually find your castle in the sky, after and because you have built the foundations under it.