Technical co-founder with controlling equity is the role you meant, not side projects. Like most co-founders of big tech companies nowadays.

Founders of big tech companies deal with politics on a level you can’t imagine.

Asin actual, literal politics. As in, appearing before Congress to convince them why what's good for your company is good for America. And/or sending campaign contributions their way to help with the convincing.

But there's a lot of fun to be had between now and then.

Don’t get carried away, most startups never rise to that level, even fairly big ones.