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That's pretty much the route I'm taking, save for the non-technical part. I'm writing a SaaS for biomedical data analysis, while completing a graduate degree i

That's pretty much the route I'm taking, save for the non-technical part. I'm writing a SaaS for biomedical data analysis, while completing a graduate degree in Experimental Medicine. I don't anticipate graduating any time soon, but I see it as an opportunity to develop the foundation of a start-up while supporting myself. It's sort of a way to avoid having to go the fundraising route (at least for now), and can potentially allow me to onboard large clients without even talking to VCs. I was happy to find that PG wrote about this sort of thing (albeit fairely indirectly): "Another way to fund a startup is to get a job. The best sort of job is a consulting project in which you can build whatever software you wanted to sell as a startup. Then you can gradually transform yourself from a consulting company into a product company, and have your clients pay your development expenses." http://paulgraham.com/startupfunding.html http://paulgraham.com/startupfunding.html

ausjke 11y ago
To get a job while doing sideline startup may have legal consequence? your employer may claim what you developed belongs to him.
- vinceguidry 11y ago
  Only if you signed a contract saying that all the code you write is their property. Even then, in theory it's a potential problem, in practice how would they ever know? The code I write for my employer, I could re-engineer any of the pieces within a week or so if I needed to. If they told me to stop using it, I could satisfy the demands and not even lose steam. But it's never going to happen because my employer doesn't think of code as valuable in and of itself except as a vehicle to solve the business problems.
  - rejschaap 11y ago
    It also depends on the local laws. Where I live it is the other way around. Everything belongs to your employer unless your contract specifies otherwise.
    - delazeur 11y ago
      May I ask where? Is it a local or national law?
      - grabeh 11y ago
        In the UK for example, s.11(2) of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 provides as follows: (2) Where a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work[, or a film,] is made by an employee in the course of his employment, his employer is the first owner of any copyright in the work subject to any agreement to the contrary.
        FanaHOVA 11y ago
        How does software fall into those categories?
        grabeh 11y ago
        s.3(1) of the same Act defines a literary work as including a computer program so there's your answer in respect of UK law. In other jurisdictions, software will generally attract copyright protection also.
  - ausjke 11y ago
    if you indeed "reuse" some of those code, you will be fine most of the times first, however when you become financially successful someday it may come back to you with a lawsuit, it's mostly about the money.

ausjke 11y ago

To get a job while doing sideline startup may have legal consequence? your employer may claim what you developed belongs to him.

vinceguidry 11y ago
Only if you signed a contract saying that all the code you write is their property. Even then, in theory it's a potential problem, in practice how would they ever know? The code I write for my employer, I could re-engineer any of the pieces within a week or so if I needed to. If they told me to stop using it, I could satisfy the demands and not even lose steam. But it's never going to happen because my employer doesn't think of code as valuable in and of itself except as a vehicle to solve the business problems.
- rejschaap 11y ago
  It also depends on the local laws. Where I live it is the other way around. Everything belongs to your employer unless your contract specifies otherwise.
  - delazeur 11y ago
    May I ask where? Is it a local or national law?
    - grabeh 11y ago
      In the UK for example, s.11(2) of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 provides as follows: (2) Where a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work[, or a film,] is made by an employee in the course of his employment, his employer is the first owner of any copyright in the work subject to any agreement to the contrary.
      - FanaHOVA 11y ago
        How does software fall into those categories?
        grabeh 11y ago
        s.3(1) of the same Act defines a literary work as including a computer program so there's your answer in respect of UK law. In other jurisdictions, software will generally attract copyright protection also.
- ausjke 11y ago
  if you indeed "reuse" some of those code, you will be fine most of the times first, however when you become financially successful someday it may come back to you with a lawsuit, it's mostly about the money.