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Ask HN: Can I work a part-time job to start a company?

I'm saving up as much as I could to quit my job and have enough runway to build something that I could fundraise for. However, I don't want to waste a year doing petty work on the startup. Can I work a part time job (4 hr work day), making a bit of money and having more time for my startup? or is it as draining and challenging as a full-time job? I'm a relationship manager at a commercial bank, what kind of part-time jobs can I get?

profstasiak 4y ago
I have fallen into this trap myself, but please stop outsourcing your life skills and life decisions to the Internet.
- mooreds 4y ago
  hahah, good point. One thing that the internet (and HN) is not short of is people who give advice without full context. Maybe a good choice for OP would be to talk to friends and family and former colleagues about these options.
mooreds 4y ago
I did technical training to help fund a startup (had a co-founder). Trained approx 6 days a month (sometimes traveling). It helped make sure the bank account didn't drain quite as quickly. It was hard, but not as hard as a full time job. > I'm a relationship manager at a commercial bank, what kind of part-time jobs can I get? Virtual assistant? Maybe ask your current employer if you can go part-time (depending on how much they love you and if there's precedent)? > However, I don't want to waste a year doing petty work on the startup. In my experience there's all kinds of petty work at any startup, and a disproportionate amount falls to founders. They're kind of the catch-all utility players. If you haven't done it yet and you have the time and opportunity, you might want to join a startup as an early employee to see what founders go through up close and personal.
HeyLaughingBoy 4y ago
You could do that, but consider keeping the full-time job and instead spend your spare time getting the word out about your startup, meeting people, finding customers, etc. A year later you'll be in a better position to know what to build.
chrisa 4y ago
Instead of a part time job, call yourself a "consultant" and say you have "1/2 of your time available". Companies are generally more likely to bring in a consultant/freelancer 1/2 time than an employee. (Make sure you charge enough though - being a consultant means you'll have costs you're not used to as an employee, like insurance and self employment tax).
readonthegoapp 4y ago
i think 50% of HN would sign up for a part-time job if such things -- in a Professional/IT context -- existed.
- poulsbohemian 4y ago
  This is a major beef I have with industry - everyone complains they can't find talent, but there plenty of skilled people out there in the world if you are willing to give them flexible work. There are so many stay at home moms with engineering degrees who just don't want to work 80 hour weeks anymore, as just one example. I meet people all the time who "retire" so that they can then go back to working just 20 hours a week -- they still want to work, they just don't want it to consume their lives.
whateveracct 4y ago
I personally just do a way worse job at my full time job :)

profstasiak 4y ago

I have fallen into this trap myself, but please stop outsourcing your life skills and life decisions to the Internet.

mooreds 4y ago
hahah, good point. One thing that the internet (and HN) is not short of is people who give advice without full context. Maybe a good choice for OP would be to talk to friends and family and former colleagues about these options.

mooreds 4y ago

I did technical training to help fund a startup (had a co-founder). Trained approx 6 days a month (sometimes traveling). It helped make sure the bank account didn't drain quite as quickly. It was hard, but not as hard as a full time job. > I'm a relationship manager at a commercial bank, what kind of part-time jobs can I get? Virtual assistant? Maybe ask your current employer if you can go part-time (depending on how much they love you and if there's precedent)? > However, I don't want to waste a year doing petty work on the startup. In my experience there's all kinds of petty work at any startup, and a disproportionate amount falls to founders. They're kind of the catch-all utility players. If you haven't done it yet and you have the time and opportunity, you might want to join a startup as an early employee to see what founders go through up close and personal.

HeyLaughingBoy 4y ago

You could do that, but consider keeping the full-time job and instead spend your spare time getting the word out about your startup, meeting people, finding customers, etc. A year later you'll be in a better position to know what to build.

chrisa 4y ago

Instead of a part time job, call yourself a "consultant" and say you have "1/2 of your time available". Companies are generally more likely to bring in a consultant/freelancer 1/2 time than an employee. (Make sure you charge enough though - being a consultant means you'll have costs you're not used to as an employee, like insurance and self employment tax).

readonthegoapp 4y ago

i think 50% of HN would sign up for a part-time job if such things -- in a Professional/IT context -- existed.

poulsbohemian 4y ago
This is a major beef I have with industry - everyone complains they can't find talent, but there plenty of skilled people out there in the world if you are willing to give them flexible work. There are so many stay at home moms with engineering degrees who just don't want to work 80 hour weeks anymore, as just one example. I meet people all the time who "retire" so that they can then go back to working just 20 hours a week -- they still want to work, they just don't want it to consume their lives.

whateveracct 4y ago

I personally just do a way worse job at my full time job :)