🚗 Can loved ones be assets to your business? Devan Sabaratnam's family gets him to $12k/mo.

TL;DR: @Devan of HRPartner ($12,000/mo) leaves the business he spent decades building and starts something new. He goes through the wringer, but the people who love him show up in a big way. And now, it's all paying off.

Key Takeaway: It's easy to get lost in the hustle — don't forget the importance of sharing your journey with others. Your family, friends, and communities are your best assets.

Also a takeaway: Whoa. 😨

This is a long one, but it's worth it. Here's how Devan Sabaratnam (and his family) made it to $12k MRR:

When I turned 50, I told my wife that I was going to toss aside the business that I had built over the past few decades, and start again with something new and unknown.

Yes, you would be right in thinking I was worried about her reaction. Would she look at me like I had gone mad? After all, I'd put everything I had into my previous business. I'd built a reputation around town and had great clients who had been with me for 20+ years.

But I was burnt out and, frankly, tired of building software for other people. I wanted the freedom to explore and try new technologies.

So I told her I was going to throw it in. Sell my consulting business to another party who had shown interest, and start again by writing an HR system from the ground up.

To my surprise, my wife was extremely supportive of my decision. We had a small amount of money saved up, and I would be getting a payout over two years from the sale of my existing business. So I thought I had at least two years of runway to put into building HR Partner.

But everything always takes twice as long as you expect, and after launching the first beta version, it took a full year to get our first paying customer.

I watched our savings deplete at an alarming rate.

My wife was unswerving in her support. That was hard at times, to see her utter faith and belief in me when we barely had enough money to do a full grocery shop for our family. Was this what she signed up for back in ’96 when we exchanged vows? It put a lot of pressure on me to make it work. But in the end, I think it was the right sort of motivation I needed to press on when things seemed really dire.

To make ends meet, my wife took on a couple of part-time jobs in addition to the one she already had. She hated the work and the hours. I used to feel guilty watching her wake up before dawn, get her uniform on, and drive out in time to serve breakfast at the Air Force base. I would go to my laptop to start cutting code and wishing that things would progress faster so she could focus on her art.

Things took another downturn in 2017 when my first co-founder abruptly left my startup when we still only had about 20 paying customers. After a month, the extra stress saw me admitted to the hospital. I thought that would mean a long break from work. But once again, my wife stepped up and cared for me above and beyond. In fact, my whole family did.

One of my sons stepped into the business, as did my sister-in-law and some extended family. They helped me with various tasks until I literally got back on my feet.

My older son, a musician, busked on the streets of our town to earn money that he put towards groceries and other household expenses.

By mid 2019, we had hundreds of customers, but what is highest in my memory was the day my wife gave her notice at the Air Force base. No more collecting and washing dishes. Her hands could go back to painting and drawing again. That made my heart sing. She deserved that and more.

By late 2020, we had well over a thousand customers on the books and I was earning a steady salary from my startup. My wife quit another job, so now she only had the old part-time work that she loved.

Without all that help and unquestioning support from those I love, I can categorically say I wouldn’t be where I am today. I believe our marriage is stronger than ever given all the trials and tribulations of the past few years. But still, I cannot wait for the day soon when my wife can stop working altogether and spend all of her time making art.

We have decided to travel the world when the current COVID issues are over, and spend months at a time in beautiful locations where she can paint and I can work from my laptop.

I’ve promised her that, as the very least I can do to repay her for her years of support.

Anyone else feeling like they wouldn't be where they are without the love and support of their spouses/SOs/families? Tell me about it (no, seriously - tell me about it in the comments 😀).

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