Who quit their full-time job to work full-time on their start-up?
I recently quit my full-time job ($180k) to focus full-time on my start-up. It's been quiet of a ride. Who else is on the same boat? How do you feel? Do you regret quitting your job?
I recently quit my full-time job ($180k) to focus full-time on my start-up. It's been quiet of a ride. Who else is on the same boat? How do you feel? Do you regret quitting your job?
I did and while I don't regret it, I wouldn't do it again.
I mean, you're fine as long as you have savings. When your startup is the only thing you have, and you just see your bank account diminishing each day, your business model isn't working out, and your girlfriend wants more attention, you just start getting really desperate and making poor decisions under all the stress.
I wouldn't have learned/failed as fast as I did if I didn't quit my day job, but this 2nd time around I ended up finding a job that allows me to work remotely which makes a tremendous difference. Plus, my job has me working with all the latest tech I'd normally use on my own projects too.
I don't think my job situation could be better in allowing me to build on the side, so this time I'm only quitting after my startup makes enough money.
100% agreed. People often understimate how much is needed to keep working on a side project without regular incomes.
this
I quit about a month ago. I am not worried. While my business isn't making money yet, I have mentally crossed out the possibility of working full time for someone else again. If I run out of money, I will at most do some part-time contract work and live in a cheap Asian city. I have at least a couple years of savings to make it on my own, so hopefully it won't even come to that.
In general, I want to minimize the amount of time which is not in my control; freedom is priceless. Luckily, I am a minimalist, don't desire to make millions, and have very basic needs. But creative freedom is super valuable to me.
I quit a $100k job to go full-time on my startup.
Well, actually I was fired. Let go. Given my marching orders. However you want to look at it haha
https://wpbuffs.com/going-all-in-on-wp-buffs/
That was ~1.5 years ago and I'm really happy about doing my own thing.
I'd been boostrapping for ~9 months before going full-time and that plus a terrific support network really helped me go from "fake it till I make it" to "woah, I run a real business."
It sounds cliche, but it really is the best thing that ever happened to me professionally. I've learned that betting on myself is the best bet I can make :)
I definitely agree with @quarterlifecrisis - having enough savings to go full-time makes things much easier (obviously). I had this, an extremely supportive wife with health insurance and the ability and had the business doing ~10k/mo before making the move. Would have been way harder doing it from scratch with no income at all.
Hope I find me a wifey like that one day. My girl left me as I was building mine. Well to be precise, when it started failing.
But dude I'm near D.C. too! We should chill!
Word! At the next IH DC meetup for sure :)
✋I left my job exactly 1 year ago to go full-time on my idea.
I started working on it about a month and a half prior during nights and weekends, before going full-time on it.
Hitting the 1 year mark was a big reflection point for me.
Over the past year, I've felt anxious, stressed, excited, accomplished. It's been quite the journey.
I've had the privilege of meeting some amazing people through the journey:
People often gauge success by $$, which I think is the biggest source of anxiety for me since we're generating a very insignificant amount. But looking back on the 1 year journey, the product has progressed significantly, I've made some great connections, and I've learned a tremendous amount about business.
Just did to launch https://www.onetoreach.com, that's my first week on it.
Glad I finally elevated it from a slow side project to the main project. I was lead developer, and frankly, that's more than a full-time job if you care. And I cared. Back home, my mind was too tired to do anything that requires focus for at least a couple hours (like... developing!). This side project didn't go far at development since Nov 2017, the time when I settled on the name. I did extensive researches though so some stuff got done.
Now things are serious, and that means getting to the point, being pragmatic. And I love that.
In France, we have unemployment benefits. While aimed at covering people while they find a new job, if you want to start your company, you are helped by staying under those benefits. This will cover ~50% of my past gross salary for the next 2 years. But that's still a cut.
So the risk is lower. Mostly knowing that finding a job, in my branch, that's a week search.
I don't regret leaving the company and the product, but I will miss my team and being with my coworkers.
But, I only have one life. So I jumped in.
(note: that also frees a spot for a new side project... 🤪)
@1st_indie_hacker I'm curious what type of job did you have that enabled you to make $180k?
Didn't quit, but the contract ended and I simply didn't look for another job. I did freelance development.
Never thought about it twice actually. As $$$ runs out, I'll probably have to find another gig soon, unless my startup explodes tomorrow. But I think I have at least three more months before I start being profitable, and budget for about the same period. When I do another gig and save up a new stash of money, I won't work again.
I only need to make one product work. One. I'll literally make a company of mine work or die trying. I'm fine with either one of those alternatives :)
In early 2016 I quit my job to work full-time on my idea. I even got my friend to quit his job to work with me.
We struggled for a year & half, and then concluded that out venture had become unsustainable. We had a decent product, but couldn't monetize it properly.
I figured we needed to have some experience before starting off again. I've been working as a Product Designer/Manager for a year in a small company here in Mumbai, India. In my part time I advice other small businesses on product and design.
I was fired from my job and decided to work on my own product. Does that count?
I'm gonna echo quarterlifecrisis and say that it helps to have a remote/part-time job that'll allow you to concentrate on your product without stressing about the finances.
I did to start Goodly (www.goodlyapp.com), while it's early but I am enjoying the experience throughly.
like @quarterlifecrisis said quitting has been the only path to deeply getting the learning experience/wake up call that I never did while working and so that has been very valuable, but I wouldn't do it a second time round.
Welcome to reality :) now focus on building your MVP and get traction.
This comment was deleted 8 years ago
This comment was deleted 8 years ago