Should You Go Solo? Transitioning from Developer to Entrepreneur

1. Boiling It Down: Time and Money

• Your ability to transition depends largely on how much time and money you have.
• Evaluate responsibilities: kids, debt, partner’s income, lifestyle costs.
• Examples:
  • Someone with savings, low expenses, and no dependents might take the leap now.
  • Someone with kids, a mortgage, and tight finances might need to transition more slowly.

2. Why Do You Want This?

• Is your desire rooted in freedom, frustration, ambition, or something else?
• Are you running from a bad job, or running toward a bigger purpose?
• Would a different tech job (remote, higher pay, more autonomy) actually solve your problem?

3. It's Not Just About Tech Skills

• Business ownership requires:
  • Strategic thinking
  • Business admin (invoicing, taxes, contracts, etc.)
  • Marketing and branding
  • Navigating legal structures (sole prop vs. incorporation)
  • Pricing and positioning
• Learning to sell yourself or your product is often the biggest mindset shift.

4. Ways to Transition (Path Options)

• Side Hustle Route: Keep your job and build something on the side.
• Freelancing Bridge: Use freelancing as a stepping stone to full business ownership.
• Burn the Ships: Quit cold turkey (high risk, needs high savings/prep).
• Part-Time Employment: Go part-time to free up days for building your thing.

5. Common Pitfalls

• Not budgeting for taxes or slow months.
• Underestimating how long it takes to get clients or users.
• Burning out by doing everything yourself without automation or outsourcing.

6. Mindset & Support Systems

• You’ll need resilience—clients ghost, plans fail, platforms change.
• Build a support system: other founders, mentors, a good accountant, maybe a therapist.
• Impostor syndrome doesn’t stop when you become your own boss.

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