Robert Rodriguez is incredibly successful on his own terms. 99% of his world would kill to have his career. When I was younger I tended to have less respect for people that weren't at the pinnacle of their careers. A scientist who just teaches at a university and publishes papers.. how mundane. A filmmaker with mixed success, a game developer who never made a famous game, an entrepreneur without a unicorn IPO.. Really all these people are probably very talented and living fulfilling lives that many envy.