3 ms·

I wish there was a better support framework in the US for people who want to quit their jobs and work on ideas. I really, really hate working for other people b

by tomc1985 6y ago

I wish there was a better support framework in the US for people who want to quit their jobs and work on ideas. I really, really hate working for other people but the things I would like to work on instead are time-consuming and the core work is not easily farmed out. I'm currently saving up to do just that and its like, "I could buy a house with this money" or "I could go on sabbatical with this money", or "I could bet everything on a business that may or may not succeed and potentially lose it all" And if I do? There is nothing except going back to the tech grind, or homelessness, or another (far less lucrative) career. Unemployment won't help me (which is complete and utter BULLSHIT for the amount of money I've paid into it), and I'd be ineligible for social security due to that previous tech income hanging over my head. There are no, "sorry you failed, here's some money to get back on your feet and try again" grants It really underscores the reality that most of these founders have rich family or friends to fall back on.

mbdesign 6y ago
Would a co-founder in that case be beneficial? Assuming you both take the risk, it's less hard on you if it fails. Obviously pros and cons with this.
- tomc1985 6y ago
  Maybe, but I don't know anyone I would trust with that kind of thing Honestly the safest option seems to be relocating to a third-world country where the labor and the cost of living is cheap, so that said money can be stretched out over a few years. Or waiting til that pile of money gets a bit larger and living off ramen for a while
  - tpxl 6y ago
    >relocating to a third-world country There is a large part of Europe (and I'm sure the US) where the standard of living is decent and you can easily get by on <15k€/year.
    - tomc1985 6y ago
      Yup, those places are potential options. I try to use my travel time to scout places like these out
    - bialpio 6y ago
      Average gross salary in Poland is ~$1400 if you are looking for options. But please do some research before relocating, current political climate is one of the reasons why I'm not really considering moving back there...
      - tomc1985 6y ago
        As much as I would like to relocate to Europe, I don't have a Shengen passport and I would prefer to avoid the kind of region-hopping one needs to do to live long-term on a tourist visa. Right now I have my eye on either Latin America, rural Northern California, or Nevada. Humboldt area is very cheap right now, I am seeing 2br houses renting for $1000 and studio apartments for 3/4 that in Eureka (which isn't all that bad; I just visited)
    - wongarsu 6y ago
      Even in a lot of Germany you can live on less than 15k€/year, just not very comfortably. In Eastern Europe a frugal person can probably live on a lot less.
bluedino 6y ago
This is an instance where it helps to have a spouse that can support you, or parents/family you can live with.
tpxl 6y ago
Hey. I've been working (with a co-founder) on a side project that's about to pan out for the past 2.5 years. About 1.5 years of that was working after hours, then about 10 months or so of 6 hours at my day job and 2 hours in my company, then just recently I quit my job with about a years worth of savings and am full time in the company. The risk I took, until recently at least, was almost nothing, since I had a job all along and was actually saving money at a quick pace. You too can start a company without going bankrupt with a bit of planning and a bit of frugality. nb. I'm counting my project as a success if it brings me >= 1x median wage on the side, which is a low bar. Also, I am not rich.
- tomc1985 6y ago
  'Working on the side' doesn't work so well for me. I've tried it, and I really struggle to make any progress. I also make art and usually that's where my productive free time goes. And switching off the artistic side is bad for me, mentally. Side projects and art draw from the same pool of mental energy as my day job and they both get the back seat, unfortunately. That's part of why I would really like to make a clean break... I just can't do the weekend warrior thing
  - kungito 6y ago
    Want some cake with it too?
    - tomc1985 6y ago
      I don't really see how trying to find a way to sacrifice one's cushy job and income instead of free time is "having your cake and eating it too"
      - ZephyrBlu 6y ago
        I believe the parent comment is actually implying the opposite. You said, "it really underscores the reality that most of these founders have rich family or friends to fall back on", someone else replied saying that they've been bootstrapping a business on the side and you come back with, "I just can't do the weekend warrior thing". You can't say "well only rich people can start a business!" and then dismiss bootstrapping as an option just because you personally can't "do the weekend warrior thing".
kofejnik 6y ago
> I wish there was a better support framework in the US for people who want to quit their jobs and work on ideas. I really, really hate working for other people but the things I would like to work on instead are time-consuming and the core work is not easily farmed out. I'm sorry, did I misread you or are you saying that work for hire is beneath you and so you you should be able to work on your ideas (which are all brilliant, no doubt), while being supported by other people, aka peons?

mbdesign 6y ago

Would a co-founder in that case be beneficial? Assuming you both take the risk, it's less hard on you if it fails. Obviously pros and cons with this.

tomc1985 6y ago
Maybe, but I don't know anyone I would trust with that kind of thing Honestly the safest option seems to be relocating to a third-world country where the labor and the cost of living is cheap, so that said money can be stretched out over a few years. Or waiting til that pile of money gets a bit larger and living off ramen for a while
- tpxl 6y ago
  >relocating to a third-world country There is a large part of Europe (and I'm sure the US) where the standard of living is decent and you can easily get by on <15k€/year.
  - tomc1985 6y ago
    Yup, those places are potential options. I try to use my travel time to scout places like these out
  - bialpio 6y ago
    Average gross salary in Poland is ~$1400 if you are looking for options. But please do some research before relocating, current political climate is one of the reasons why I'm not really considering moving back there...
    - tomc1985 6y ago
      As much as I would like to relocate to Europe, I don't have a Shengen passport and I would prefer to avoid the kind of region-hopping one needs to do to live long-term on a tourist visa. Right now I have my eye on either Latin America, rural Northern California, or Nevada. Humboldt area is very cheap right now, I am seeing 2br houses renting for $1000 and studio apartments for 3/4 that in Eureka (which isn't all that bad; I just visited)
  - wongarsu 6y ago
    Even in a lot of Germany you can live on less than 15k€/year, just not very comfortably. In Eastern Europe a frugal person can probably live on a lot less.

bluedino 6y ago

This is an instance where it helps to have a spouse that can support you, or parents/family you can live with.

tpxl 6y ago

Hey. I've been working (with a co-founder) on a side project that's about to pan out for the past 2.5 years. About 1.5 years of that was working after hours, then about 10 months or so of 6 hours at my day job and 2 hours in my company, then just recently I quit my job with about a years worth of savings and am full time in the company. The risk I took, until recently at least, was almost nothing, since I had a job all along and was actually saving money at a quick pace. You too can start a company without going bankrupt with a bit of planning and a bit of frugality. nb. I'm counting my project as a success if it brings me >= 1x median wage on the side, which is a low bar. Also, I am not rich.

tomc1985 6y ago
'Working on the side' doesn't work so well for me. I've tried it, and I really struggle to make any progress. I also make art and usually that's where my productive free time goes. And switching off the artistic side is bad for me, mentally. Side projects and art draw from the same pool of mental energy as my day job and they both get the back seat, unfortunately. That's part of why I would really like to make a clean break... I just can't do the weekend warrior thing
- kungito 6y ago
  Want some cake with it too?
  - tomc1985 6y ago
    I don't really see how trying to find a way to sacrifice one's cushy job and income instead of free time is "having your cake and eating it too"
    - ZephyrBlu 6y ago
      I believe the parent comment is actually implying the opposite. You said, "it really underscores the reality that most of these founders have rich family or friends to fall back on", someone else replied saying that they've been bootstrapping a business on the side and you come back with, "I just can't do the weekend warrior thing". You can't say "well only rich people can start a business!" and then dismiss bootstrapping as an option just because you personally can't "do the weekend warrior thing".

kofejnik 6y ago

> I wish there was a better support framework in the US for people who want to quit their jobs and work on ideas. I really, really hate working for other people but the things I would like to work on instead are time-consuming and the core work is not easily farmed out. I'm sorry, did I misread you or are you saying that work for hire is beneath you and so you you should be able to work on your ideas (which are all brilliant, no doubt), while being supported by other people, aka peons?