I want to quit the employee life. What are my options?
I'm a software engineer. I tend to think that I'm a good one as well. I work professionally for more than 13 years. And I'm getting tired of it.
Even though I work in an good company on an interesting project, I see all the waste that happens - waste in peoples time, waste in peoples talent. I used to think that maybe its my company that is bad, but I've realized that it happens everywhere.
I'm very passionate about programming. I like to write code, experiment, try new things in programming. And I no longer want to waste my life being an employee and climbing the corporate ladder. I want to be free in my life, free in in choosing what I want to work on, free with my time - and continue to bring stable income to the house.
For many years (I'd say at least 6-7) - I'm trying to work on a unique personal finance management tool. I've tried them all, but none of them does what I envision mine to do. And for that many years, I can't pull it off. I write it, I rewrite it, I throw it away, I burn out and I start all over again. Time after time after time. Each time I'm telling to myself "this is it, this is the time I'll finish and ship something", but it doesn't happen. And I start to believe that it might never happen.
I've tried to abandon this project, tried to find other ideas, but I deeply believe in it and truly think it can fill its niche. However the path between believe and an actual product is very long, and I'm start to loose hope.
Given all that, I was wondering - what other options do I have in order to escape the 9to5 life and be own my employer?
What's stopping you, exactly? You seem to really be passionate about your idea. Burnout does happen. To everyone. Perhaps you must first address this. These are the barriers to your success. Look at everything that is stopping you and decide how you can overcome them. You can overcome burnout by finding a better way to work. Maybe you're working too hard. Maybe you need to take more breaks. Maybe you need to go slower. Maybe you are forcing a time limit on yourself. Look deep into this issue, as only you can determine what the issue truly is. But rest assured that you can work through it.
As for your product, try to think of a way to get your product out there faster. If there is a minimum viable product that you can ship early and start getting feedback, try to do that. Don't try to ship something with a billion features. That's definitely a quick road to burnout and dissatisfaction. However if you can get an MVP out there and start getting feedback, this may be a major motivational tool for you, while helping to better your project at the same time.
Also, don't be afraid of failure. Just get it out there. Work as hard as you can. If it fails, it fails. Use everything you've learned from the failure and apply it to your next endeavor.
Keep going! Believe in yourself and good luck with everything!
Thank you kind stranger. You gave me the motivation boost I've needed