Nivi Achanta gets laid off during an economic crisis, stays afloat by working on Soapbox Project ($600/mo) full-time

Earning enough to pay rent. That's a big deal, especially these days, as the latest Covid surge threatens the U.S. economy anew. Here's how @niviachanta of Soapbox Project ($600/mo) is making the most out of losing her job during an economic crisis:

Right after I got the layoff call, I told my partner the news. He said, "Okay, you wanna move to Seattle?" I thought he was joking. He wasn't.

So I called my best friend, who had just closed on a house there, and asked if we could live with them for a bit. We had nothing lined up other than a place to crash.

Being laid off in the middle of a health and economic crisis, I felt like life was throwing me in the deep end. I had wanted to go full-time on Soapbox eventually, once I'd saved enough money and gotten more validation. But the decision was made for me, so I decided to swim.

Since then, everything has felt like a sign. My partner found his dream job. Working from home with my friends has been amazing. I don't go out to eat because I have to save money, but we have delicious meals every night.

And, yes, I'm also stressed as hell all the time. Sometimes it feels like a tradeoff between startup productivity and being okay mentally. I question myself almost on a daily basis. I often wonder if I'm committing to Soapbox just because it's easier than finding a "real" job.

It's scary and exciting and overwhelming all at once, but I know that Soapbox isn't going to fail. The idea may evolve, it may take me a long time to figure it out, I may have to scale down my hours on it, but it's not going to fail. I know this because there are so many people like me who want to make the world a better place, but not enough tools to help.

Even on my worst days, I wake up in the morning happy that I don't work at my old job. I feel a sense of purpose even during mundane tasks like accounting. And I feel valued by my employer for the first time ever. Because it's me.

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