Stuck in between
Hi, I am Matthias, 38, m, founder of https://speisekammer.app (focusing germany right now - there is also an english version that is not really used by users).
September last year was really a great month! I launched the PayPal integration for my WebApp and got several conversions of previous test-account users, showing there is a need for the product and people are willing to pay for it.
I was very pleased and planned to come up with a first Beta of the corresponding Android and iOS app. The plan here was to improve the UX and to reach even more users. The release date was set for Christmas - where I had a few vacation days.
Because I also work in my main job full time, this was the only chance to concentrate for a few days on the task of finishing the app.
Unfortunately, now it is March and the app is still not ready, and I really feel stuck.
The promises regarding a promotion in my main job also did not prove true, although my main job is now demanding more than ever.
My energy is almost depleted now and I would be ready for a longer vacation.
So even the energy for my side hustle went down to nearly zero these days.
I already tried outsourcing some tasks, but this also consumes more time than I have right now to come to results.
On the other hand, the MRR currently reached $250, so this will not cover my spendings for my family to let me just quit my main job.
I am really grateful regarding to how far I have come! After pondering with options for months now I just realized I really have to change something in my life to gain joy in working again for 10h+ per day.
Did some of you experience a similar situation?
I am happy to hear your story!
Sounds like burn out to me. Take a break. Don't be too hard on yourself. Recharge. After, I would say find time when you're energized to work on it. For example, I work on my business in the mornings before my day job. I found this to be the only time where work and social obligations haven't drained me yet. I also take breaks, exercise, read (physical books), sleep, and eat well to help with energy levels.
Hi Janet, thanks for your recommendation to fill energy up again, this is exactly what I need. Working on my side-hustle always gave me enough energy for the last 2 years. But now I've come to the situation where additional screen hours won't really help in fill up energy levels again. Really sounds like I need to reduce screen hours and do more sports and meditation.
Happy to help 🙂
Sometimes I find that even the shortest times off can help a lot if e.g. you have putting all your evenings and weekdays into the sidehustle.
Simply deciding that today or tonight I'll let go and enjoy my time with the kids/spouse/friends/alone and will let all this productivity stuff be.
Even one day or evening can make a huge difference if you can mentally let go of it for a bit. You'll come back recharged and ready to fly that rocket to the moon!
P.S.: I know what you mean, when you put in 10-14h+ screen time for an extended period of time it really takes the wind out of you. My schedule has been to work hard on weekdays and weekday evenings/nights, but do a lot less in the weekends. I also usually squeeze in a bit of gaming or Netflix even at 1-2AM after stopping just to let brains relax a bit before going to sleep.
Hey, doing a day / evening off is something I also try from time to time but this really is hard for me - because so many ideas are coming to my mind. I feel the urge to write them down and that is pulling my into the next task already.
I will try to do as little as possible for this week! Let’s see whether that helps already :-)
In a way, I am in the same boat! The significant difference is that my demanding main job is also my own company. But that doesn't mean that it isn't stressful and exhausting at times, and it also doesn't mean that I don't want to ponder with any side hustles. I am too curious to focus on just one thing.
I've been working on my current side hustle since August and I wanted to have it finished already; even the landing page is still quite empty. I also had quite a good time over Christmas because that's the only time where mostly everyone at my main company takes time off and I can really relax. Now it's March and I am pretty close to missing the best window of opportunity – it's an app for runners (https://hirunner.co) and Spring is coming. I also have two co-founders in this side hustle, but I am the only engineer. On top of that, I've also got another already profitable side business and a wonderful family.
Long story short, the way I am dealing with this situation is basically by "accepting defeat". The day has only 24 hours and I only have a certain amount of energy available every day. I have been worrying about getting things done for too long but in hindsight it was all pretty unrealistic and impossible to sustain in the long run.
What can we do about it? There are only three options:
I decided to go for 3. My goal is to build multiple income streams and for me, it's a long game, just like other investments. Sometimes it helps to remember what other smart people said: "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years." (Bill Gates)
Onwards and upwards!
Hi Matthias, thanks for sharing your story!
As you already guessed, option 1. isn't an easy thing to do with a small family. Regarding option 2: working on "my project" with the tools I love, with bringing all my creativity in, with a steep learning curve - and eventually creating enough passive income out of it - is also nothing I would want to miss.
This is why I am in the "accept defeat" mode right now, but always try to "work smarter, not harder". Unfortunately I was not very successful up to now, maybe I just need to recover before sprinting again like Janet recommended in another comment.
I really hope that you hit your window of opportunity with your running app - however, people will keep running until fall ;-)
Congrats to your success. I don't have a story for you, just a few ideas for you to perhaps consider. 1. selling your saas 2. finding a cofounder that helps with the app in exchange for some percentage of the company 3. finding an investor so you can quit your job and not starve 4. contact companies from the food space in your area and ask if they want to sponsor or purchase it (or become investors) - Greetings to Bavaria from Hamburg! <3
Hello lukzett, thanks for your proposals!
About selling my SaaS I did not really think yet. The idea of getting sponsors or investors from the local food space is really a good idea, I will elaborate on this. Could really be a way to get profitable sooner and make further desicions more easy ;-)