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I left my "real job" for entrepreneurship about 8 years ago (at age 23) and haven't looked back. I've run several small companies since then, with a game server

by Meekro 8y ago

I left my "real job" for entrepreneurship about 8 years ago (at age 23) and haven't looked back. I've run several small companies since then, with a game server host[1] being the most recent. I'm pretty happy with how it's gone and I have no regrets over leaving. I was happy and well-treated in the real job, but nothing beats the freedom to work on what I want, when I want, using whichever technologies I want. The biggest downsides for me: 1. Fewer opportunities to meet and collaborate with other nerds. I love working independently, but "argue with smart people" is a great way to refine your ideas. I wish I had more of that. 2. Fewer opportunities to learn from larger companies. Many companies have internal technologies, tools, processes, shell scripts, etc. that are truly inspired. Former employees get to take these ideas (though not the code itself) with them when they leave, to apply to future jobs or to their own startups. The more time you spend in the corporate world, the more of these tools you accumulate in your own tool belt. [1] https://indiehackers.com/businesses/arkservers-io https://indiehackers.com/businesses/arkservers-io

sodafountan 8y ago
This is great advice. Did you work on your first business part-time while working your last "real job"? I feel like I'm in a similar boat and I'm not sure what to do next. I'm 24 and I work for a great company with really smart people whom over the past two years I've learned from quite a bit, I've always wanted to start a business though, actually in college I did just that to earn money. I created an app development business targeting Windows Phone and was able to build a pretty sizable passive income stream which kept me satisfied throughout college. I'm now debating finding a new job but really what I'd love to do is go back to entrepreneurship, yet on the other side I know how valuable learning from people in the industry actually is. Any advice?
- Meekro 8y ago
  I started my first business while I was in college, and kept it going on the side while working the real job. After a year at the real job, I decided to leave and focus on the business. What happened to your company from college-- did you shut it down? Sell it? Did it die on its own? I don't think anyone can tell you whether it's the right time for you. Neither decision is permanent, though: If you do leave and it doesn't go well, it shouldn't be hard to go back to your old job or find a new one. "I took a year off, started a business, learned a lot, failed, and now I want a job" should go over well with most employers. If you don't leave, you can spend the next year learning more from your employer while tinkering with your idea on the side -- and then leave next year. As you age, you'll tend to accumulate obligations. Marriage, kids, mortgage, elderly parents/relatives that need care, medical problems of your own -- things like this will make it harder and more risky to quit your job later in life. So if you're going to do it, your 20s are a great time.
  - sodafountan 8y ago
    I appreciate the reply, My business kind of evaporated given the ever decreasing market share of Windows Phone. I was able to carve out a pretty nice little niche where I created small apps for Windows Phone in even smaller targeted niche markets where there was usually almost no competition. (I built Workout apps targeting specific exercises, I built small little games that were popular on iPhone and Android but never got ported to Windows Phone, alarm clock apps, I created a piano app that did really well, things like that) given the sparse selection of apps on Windows Phone most of my apps did pretty well with no marketing whatsoever. I tried to pivot to iPhone and Android and saw a bit of success on Android but the business model didn't really translate to those platforms given the oversaturation of the app store, I saw my revenues dwindle down consistently and by the time I landed my first job two years ago my passive income had dropped to about 500 dollars a month, it's now completely gone, nobody uses Windows Phone anymore. I am working on a much bigger app now targeting iPhone and Android, but the app market is tough to penetrate. I guess the only path for me going forward is to either stick with my current job that I know well and put in more work on the app, or look for a new job where I can learn more and earn a bit more but my responsibilities will most likely increase and I'll be forced to learn a new tech stack which can take a toll and could affect my ability to work on the app in off hours, I've been working on the app for about five months now and I really don't want to lose my momentum. Anyway sorry for the rant lol, that's my predicament. I agree I could always go back to the workforce if anything goes awry but I'm not even at that decision yet, it's more a question of how do I allocate my time properly until I become profitable enough to make that decision, and how long do I put off moving my life forward given the uncertainty of the app market.

by Meekro 8y ago

sodafountan 8y ago

This is great advice. Did you work on your first business part-time while working your last "real job"? I feel like I'm in a similar boat and I'm not sure what to do next. I'm 24 and I work for a great company with really smart people whom over the past two years I've learned from quite a bit, I've always wanted to start a business though, actually in college I did just that to earn money. I created an app development business targeting Windows Phone and was able to build a pretty sizable passive income stream which kept me satisfied throughout college. I'm now debating finding a new job but really what I'd love to do is go back to entrepreneurship, yet on the other side I know how valuable learning from people in the industry actually is. Any advice?

Meekro 8y ago
I started my first business while I was in college, and kept it going on the side while working the real job. After a year at the real job, I decided to leave and focus on the business. What happened to your company from college-- did you shut it down? Sell it? Did it die on its own? I don't think anyone can tell you whether it's the right time for you. Neither decision is permanent, though: If you do leave and it doesn't go well, it shouldn't be hard to go back to your old job or find a new one. "I took a year off, started a business, learned a lot, failed, and now I want a job" should go over well with most employers. If you don't leave, you can spend the next year learning more from your employer while tinkering with your idea on the side -- and then leave next year. As you age, you'll tend to accumulate obligations. Marriage, kids, mortgage, elderly parents/relatives that need care, medical problems of your own -- things like this will make it harder and more risky to quit your job later in life. So if you're going to do it, your 20s are a great time.
- sodafountan 8y ago
  I appreciate the reply, My business kind of evaporated given the ever decreasing market share of Windows Phone. I was able to carve out a pretty nice little niche where I created small apps for Windows Phone in even smaller targeted niche markets where there was usually almost no competition. (I built Workout apps targeting specific exercises, I built small little games that were popular on iPhone and Android but never got ported to Windows Phone, alarm clock apps, I created a piano app that did really well, things like that) given the sparse selection of apps on Windows Phone most of my apps did pretty well with no marketing whatsoever. I tried to pivot to iPhone and Android and saw a bit of success on Android but the business model didn't really translate to those platforms given the oversaturation of the app store, I saw my revenues dwindle down consistently and by the time I landed my first job two years ago my passive income had dropped to about 500 dollars a month, it's now completely gone, nobody uses Windows Phone anymore. I am working on a much bigger app now targeting iPhone and Android, but the app market is tough to penetrate. I guess the only path for me going forward is to either stick with my current job that I know well and put in more work on the app, or look for a new job where I can learn more and earn a bit more but my responsibilities will most likely increase and I'll be forced to learn a new tech stack which can take a toll and could affect my ability to work on the app in off hours, I've been working on the app for about five months now and I really don't want to lose my momentum. Anyway sorry for the rant lol, that's my predicament. I agree I could always go back to the workforce if anything goes awry but I'm not even at that decision yet, it's more a question of how do I allocate my time properly until I become profitable enough to make that decision, and how long do I put off moving my life forward given the uncertainty of the app market.