Working on a fulltime regular job and starting a Start-up
I need an advise on starting my work on my ideas. I am doing job for 5 years and a senior Java engineer. I have great some thing inside, to bring my ideas in execution and to see myself as a founder of them. My regular job is paying me good. What I am thinking is to start working (solo) on my ideas with my job. How can these two things go parallel? My regular job will help me to fund my startup. Just like, getting design services and hosting etc. So when I will see I can earn money from my apps. I will leave my job and to start full time on my own stuff.
What you guys advise me on it.
5 Answers
- Definitely keep your current job for now.
- Work on your idea on the side, try to spend as much time as you can on it.
- Try and get a partner. Do you know any other good Java programmers or other people who would like to work on an idea with you? That will make doing things in your spare time easier. You guys will also be able to motivate each other.
- Once you have some happy customers than you can consider transitioning full time to it.
I would suggest getting a small team together to work with.
It's really tough to do everything yourself. But, doable.
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Here, another thing that I want to discuss is, that having a partner with you. When I talk about with my friends. It seems they are presenting a manager role to me. Where as I believe I am on a creator role. That at initial, I will develop things (all the stuff) and then bring it to a team. Coz initally its hard to get a team (due to funds, space etc). I dont want that, if I ask a friend and no doubt they will ready to help but they are presenting as non-dev roles. That I have fear to share my things with anyone on start. – Tahir Akram 12 years ago
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I think a developer, developer, business guy partnership can work. But for tech startups developer / business guy (manager) is a bad choice. There just isn't that much they can bring to the table early on and most the effort is on the developer. So I agree. You wouldn't want to bring in a partner as biz / manager. Unless they had plenty of $$$$. If you partner it should be with someone who can help you do real work :] – Ryan Doom 12 years ago
It sounds like you don't have a set idea or plan yet, so I would definitely start working on something while you still have a job. Working on it for a few months will tell you if you are really passionate about it or not, which is best to find out while you still have a job.
Just make sure you don't have any non-compete or invention clauses in your current job that would impact anything you do on the side.
Also probably relevant, I personally wasn't able to progress any ideas until I quit my job and focused on it full time. I needed the pressure of it needing to be successful for me to actually focus and launch something. That will likely depend on your personality.
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I want to use the salary to feed my start up. Because, it's the only money I can have or save for my own startup. You are right, having startup on side will not casue as that pessure. But I want to do it. I want to build this passion. If at times I will see it's draining. – Tahir Akram 12 years ago
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You have nothing to lose by trying. If it is not working for you, reevaluate then. – Joel Friedlaender 12 years ago
Doing both is tough but it sounds like you really need your day job until you figure out your vision.
I would suggest that you find a specific idea to work on and work on it until you have a MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Then you can quit your job once you get some traction in the marketplace.
There was a similar question a while back that provided some interesting responses and discussion:
When is the good time to quit the dayjob and start full time on startup?
Keep the current job and try to invest some proper time, maybe on weekends, to develop. Focus on those things(features) that you can achieve easily now.
Make a blog to keep updating your audience with what are you doing. You might get some people on board working for you as well. You can hire freelancers/interns too.
I think that you will reach a point, where you will realize that this might be the right time to quit your current job and take your own work full-time.
