If you’re confused, don’t become a founder
The market for developers is absolutely insane right now. If you’re a developer, it's likely you can find a job quite quickly. If you’re a good developer, you can choose where to work, and if you’re a great developer you can choose where to work and get paid really really well.
The trouble is we all want to be owners of our own destiny, build something that can transform the world and be immortalised. For most of us, the little voice at the back of our minds just won’t go away…
I know I’ve always had that voice, and was always torn between my well paying job and starting something of my own. Around 2010 I almost started a food delivery business, but I just wasn’t able to go all in, I was very confused. In 2015, I really wanted to start something of my own, but had no idea what to build. Again I was torn between the salary (and responsibilities at home) and the urge to start something fresh, but I resisted and joined a venture builder.
The truth is there are thousands of fantastic opportunities across the world in companies that do appreciate your talent and effort, that give you autonomy, and have great people working for them. The mindset should not be: I must avoid high-paying jobs and launch my own start-up. The mindset should be to find a great job, learn, save and let your own project come to you. Once you’re no longer confused, go for it! And remember, if you are successful, you’ll end up being a large company so whilst you’re confused you might as well learn how to operate one before building one.
In 2021, I was no longer confused. It was clear to me the time had come. I, together with a friend, had a vision, and despite a very attractive offer from a leading European tech company, it was easy to say no.
Are you confused?
I would rather make 100K on my own business than 200K working for somebody else. If you are a developer , you can make more, but what you build goes to someone else's, your earning potential is capped, and after a few years, maybe you have enough to retire, and taking into account the increasingly high cost of living, real state, etc... there is no better time to work for yourself.
That is an interesting perspective. But you'll be earning half of what you could earn working for someone else and no guarantee you will earn more... We hear a lot about the success stories, but don't hear enough about the failures - and these happen more frequently than the success ones. My post was not about if its right or wrong, its more about the fact that you have to be fully committed, otherwise its likely to fail and you'll feel emotionally really bad afterwards.
Is easier to scale a business than a career with the same earning potential, a business could also be freelancing, or consulting etc… working for somebody else have very little upside, and you also have to be committed to get that promo , otherwise you would be job hopping every few years and people see through that , not even mentioning how getting promoted is not always really a matter of hard work / dedication. I’m saying this as someone who both run a business on the side and work at FAANG. Once I get my ARR to my target number I’m gone and will never work a 9 to 5 job again.
You can take on both. If your have a good job and your project doesn't generate a good sustainable income, you shouldn't quit and chase something that may not work. Well.. Unless you have a good reason that you have to do it full time.
Yeah I am confused still. I have started building my own website, such as heartapk.com . This site takes 1 year almost but don't have good states still. I am confused where I am wrong, as I thought I will starts a business by ranking this site.