the more I really dig into it, the less maxing out a 401(k) beyond the employer match seems to make sense (unless it's just so you resist drawing down your savings)

the fact that it's illiquid + you're basically guessing what your taxes are going to look like way into the future sucks

there are more "fun" places to invest (angel investing), or more liquid with similar yields (public markets/index funds)

this article made me change my mind on the idea that you should definitively max it out: https://ofdollarsanddata.com/should-i-max-out-my-401k/

and honestly beyond this - the dollar spent:fun ratio is so much higher when you're younger (if I'm anyway betting on higher future income)