Reality Check: Your Side Hustle Is Killing Your Dream

If you're reading this on an indie Hacker forum, you're probably someone who's fed up with your current job and looking for alternatives. You're stumbling through this community, searching for answers. This message is for you – the future entrepreneur thinking about making the leap.

The Hard Truth About the Indie Journey

You think you know that the indie journey is hard, right? You don't. Take whatever hardship you're imagining and multiply it by 10 – yes, it's that hard. For every social media post showing someone working from a beach with their laptop or flashing first-class airfare tickets, there are 1,000 people toiling away in windowless rooms - and still will not be able to make it.

You believe you're that one in 1,000. You feel destined to be your own boss. This message is specifically for you. I'm not here to squash your dreams. Instead, I want to encourage you to follow a proper path to self-sustainability and building something truly fulfilling.

Who Am I to Tell You This?

Let me share a bit about myself. I migrated to America and worked in Silicon Valley across various IT companies. I have enough years behind me to have made multiple mistakes I am about to tell you. Currently, I'm building VideoToBe.com, and it's taken its own time to get here. I've made all the mistakes I'm about to mention below. Hopefully, this can save you from following the same path.

The Proper Path to Being Your Own Boss

Some jobs are truly toxic. Quitting them is the only viable option. If you're in one, make the decision and pull the trigger. Submit your resignation letter and move on. Life is too short to walk on eggshells every day.

After handling any toxic situation, find a job that reasonably aligns with your interests. It doesn't need to be a 100% match – but it should be close enough. This will be your foundation for growth.

There's a crucial principle to understand: there should only be two distinct life stages: being in a job or starting on your own. Trying to do both simultaneously rarely works. Very few people can effectively manage multiple projects at once, and chances are, you're not one of them.

There is no 9-5 and 5-9. You are expected to work 8 hours a day, and the rest of the time is for you to recuperate - not work another job. Although you are only required to be present at your job for 8 hours, your employer pays for the rest of your time too (it's called full-time for a reason). You are expected to spend the rest of your time wisely: daily grooming, commuting, exercising, eating healthy meals, clearing dirty plates from the sink, maybe reading a book or watching a movie, and having meaningful relationships with your family and friends.

Remember that your employer pays for your time – respect that. You plan to be a business owner someday. Would you want your future employees working on their side projects during time you're paying for? The answer should be a resounding 'No'. Give your job the respect it deserves. Be loyal to the hand that feeds you.

When you're in your job, bring your entire focus to it. Invest your body and soul into it. Working hard at your day job won't put you at a disadvantage – you're building your resilience muscle while creating a financial buffer. Learning to stick through mundane tasks without giving up is a key ingredient for future success.

The people you work with today will help you when you start your own venture. The person you least expect might land you your first customer in your future business. You don't know who or when this will happen. Your best bet is to go all in and pour your heart and soul into your current role, even if it seems mundane. Jobs are not supposed to be fulfilling or accommodate you. The quicker you start grinding, the easier it becomes.

You need to be upwardly mobile, and a "goto person" a.k.a visible person in your job. Your goal should be to become the natural first point of contact - the person teammates or managers instinctively approach with questions or challenges. Learn and Grow.

Stay in your job until you've built enough financial buffer - not just for a year, but enough to sustain you for at least five years. You think your job is draining? Wait until you experience endless hours of coding, designing, and answering the same questions over and over. You think your boss is demanding? Wait until you see nasty customer emails and comments.

Jobs Are Your Training Ground

Think of your job as a safety net, where you can make mistakes and let the organizational structure save you from disasters. It's where you build your financial buffer and prepare yourself for something better. Your current role is paid training for your entrepreneurial journey.

The Right Time Will Come

One day, you'll find yourself successful enough in your job to make the leap. You will soon get a sense of these opportunities. But more importantly, you'll be equipped with the ways to convert them into successful business ventures. The patience and skills you've built during your journey will give you the wisdom to recognize opportunities and the capability to turn them into reality.

At that time, opportunities will chase you, not the other way around. Most people who have followed this path have people knocking on their door – seeking partners, offering investments, or job opportunities. They haven't left their living rooms chasing opportunities.

Don't do what I did. Take the easy route. Keep your day job!