I recently made this jump. I'm a programmer and I wanted to work on some ideas I have. It helps that I can also do some contract work to keep some money coming

I recently made this jump. I'm a programmer and I wanted to work on some ideas I have. It helps that I can also do some contract work to keep some money coming in. Here are the main things that helped me make the jump: 1. Believing in myself Almost everywhere I've worked I've never been included in important decisions and I've seen teams I'm on make poor decisions without consulting me. This is entirely because of egos. People that work for other people aren't trying to build that business, they're trying to build themselves within that business. These egos and politics got in my way far more than I could stomach anymore. I've also noticed a big difference between my enthusiasm and passion for becoming a better programmer and that of my coworkers. I hope to be able to employ other people someday and give them a great culture for building and learning. 2. Having Money/Savings I saved a lot of this before making the jump recently. Some people might recommend 6 months of savings, I saved enough for quite a bit longer than that and I hope I can maintain a lifestyle at least similar to what I had before. I'm married without kids but it's very important for me to not put any burden on my wife with my starting of a business. Trust me, no matter how good you feel before going into this, your head will get messed with a lot as those first few Fridays pass by and no direct deposit is hitting your bank account. It takes a few times to get over it. 3. Desire for more Money/Savings/Freedom The advancements that you make in wealth when working for someone else are very incremental. Maybe I'm just impatient, but I want bigger earning potential and I want it quicker. It helps that I can do some consulting to make a little bit of money while I work on the product ideas that I have.