Yeah, I think his idea of failure is a lot of people's idea of success: a reasonably comfortable 40 hour/wk job that pays well and doesn't involve risks of getting your arm chopped off in machinery, and a bunch of free time & money to spend on entertainment. Not what I'd choose to do, but neither are lots of things; I wouldn't choose to work at a tech company that expects you to carry a pager, work nights/weekends, and thinks it owns your life, either.

(I do agree that saving a bit of money is good for pretty much everyone; buffers come in handy.)