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Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

sdk.org.nz

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Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#51

Post by cpher »

dugmartin wrote: post #29
markkoberlein wrote: post #3

There should be a support group for over 30 startup founders that have families, bills, and full-time jobs. My advice to any one trying to do this is to be patient and find a time management system that works for you. Also, get used to the hours between 8pm and 2am. Those hours can be your best friend and worse enemy.

Hi, 38, married, 2 kids, full time job and a mortgage here. My hours are from 4:30am to 7:15am, 30 minutes at lunch and 30 minutes making the next day's todo list before bed. Even though the time I can commit is short I'm much more productive now than I was at 28 working crazy hours.

Same here. 37 yrs old w/ 2 kids (3 & 2 yr olds!). Full-time job that I like but don't love. Lots of ideas that need room to breathe in their own skin. I'm preparing to create an LLC to do just that.

I don't know where it will lead in the future (maybe nowhere), but I'm prepared to deal with that. The harder thing to deal with is simply sitting on the sidelines doing nothing while life passes me by.

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#52

Post by pxstock »

FreeRadical wrote: post #41
pxstock wrote: post #26

Wonderful read. Your story could be mine. I completely understand all the things you’re saying. I know what it feels like to have two small kids, a job, a mortgage, having to get up at night to feed a baby and dreaming of having your own succesful business. I have been developing my own sites for the last decade, without ever being really succesful (in terms of money). I’ve been working at my own computer from eight…

Maybe focusing on and sticking with one thing may be a better alternative?

Good point, but don't get me wrong: I don't work at too many things at the same time. Of the two things I'm working on now, one is rather simple, so I don't think I'm dividing my energy over too many things.

(And also, when I get excited about something, I just can't wait to do at least some work on it :-)

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#53

Post by pxstock »

Mc_Big_G wrote: post #32

I'm in the same boat. Knowing and repeatedly experiencing the fact that most startups fail, I have accepted that the time spent is not wasted, even if I never make a dollar. I've already seen positive results in contacts made and experience gained. However, I still have those days when I think the guys "wasting" their time playing WoW or xbox are getting the last laugh.

About your last line: Some people do indeed seem to just be in the right place at the right time and have good things fall in their lap just like that. Even while playing WoW :) But no, I think ultimately only your own hard work is the best possible guarantee for success.

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#54

Post by Sukotto »

Sukotto wrote: post #37
gridspy wrote: post #11

Proud to see my blog post on HN. It has been a tough slog working full-time while spending every other waking moment on Gridspy. It doesn't help that I spend every waking moment thinking about it, even when I should be applying myself to my full-time job. Biggest challenges: 1) Starting work again at 7pm after dinner, and sticking with it as long as possible 2) Stopping at 10:30pm so I'm not dead after 2 days 3) Taki…

Well written and it comes at a great time for me. It's such a wonderful feeling to know there's someone else out there like me... I too am a family man (2 + 1 in the oven) with a fulltime job and a mortgage, and am trying to make time to build something by myself. I love pg's essays though I often feel depressed after reading them. He frequently seems to be saying "don't even try unless you're young, free, have at le…

@pg: Uh... that came across as far more negative than I intended. I really do like reading your work and want to read more. The fact that I don't fit into (what I think is) your primary audience does NOT make them any less valuable to me.

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#55

Post by coffee »

nkh wrote: post #7
patio11 wrote: post #4

This is totally doable, although I don't envy him for trying to do it while also having a wife and kids. If your life situation allows you to play WoW, your life situation allows you to run a business. Heck, my business is considerably less complicated than the guild I used to run. I managed to cut my headcount by 39 and my hours by 75%. (You may have to stop playing WoW. Apologies in advance, but trust me, the loot…

I would love to hear about any techniques you have for overcoming mental fatigue at the end of your work day when you still have business work to do. Did you work on your business before the work day started? Or something different?

The best thing I've found is joining a gym, after lifting some weights and doing some cardio, my body is tired and my mind get's refreshed allowing me to get more focused work done... that's just me though...

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#56

Post by theBobMcCormick »

mattlong wrote: post #25
holograham wrote: post #5

+1 Even college grads can follow some of this advice. Come out of school ladened with debt is no picnic and sure going straight to a startup sure seems like a sexy idea but even Paul Graham admits most startups fail. Sure valuable experience, and new contacts help ease that but there are alternatives. I would prefer to go into business for myself once I am debt free and on solid footing (not waiting because I am scar…

But are you really going to be able to walk away from a comfortable life and good salary some years down the road to try something risky? The longer you get used to having disposable income and the freedom to do whatever you want outside of 9-5 knowing you'll have a job to go back to tomorrow, the less likely you'll be willing to take the plunge. I landed a good job right out of school. I soon after (i.e. a few month…

The common stereotype of an entrepreneur is the 20 something living on Ramen, but maybe that's because the 20 somethings are more likely to blog/tweet/otherwise publicly discuss their experience? Here's one of several articles I've seen that indicate the stereotype may be completely wrong: http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/21/the-average-age-of-an-en...

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#57

Post by theBobMcCormick »

zarski wrote: post #43

I don't really buy into this approach especially with young children and a wife. Read all the posts detailing how hard this approach is without a wife and kids. How much time is this guy spending with his spouse? How happy is the spouse going to be with you constantly on the computer. This kind of advice will mostly lead to a divorce. Of course, this is case by case as some spouses may be OK with being totally ignore…

I completely agree that anyone with kids absolutely must make their kids the #1 priority in their life. Having said that however, it sounds like the OP is working on his startup in the % of his free time that many of his peers might be using for more conventional hobbies like bowling, playing WoW, watching TV, etc.

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#58

Post by hopeless »

nkh wrote: post #7
patio11 wrote: post #4

This is totally doable, although I don't envy him for trying to do it while also having a wife and kids. If your life situation allows you to play WoW, your life situation allows you to run a business. Heck, my business is considerably less complicated than the guild I used to run. I managed to cut my headcount by 39 and my hours by 75%. (You may have to stop playing WoW. Apologies in advance, but trust me, the loot…

I would love to hear about any techniques you have for overcoming mental fatigue at the end of your work day when you still have business work to do. Did you work on your business before the work day started? Or something different?

This is really important to me. Every second "lifehack" post is about getting up all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and being productive in the mornings. But what if you've got 8 hours of boredom/frustration/pointless cubicle existence, a family meal and some kids time to get through before you need to kickstart your brain? How do others manage that (legally, without drugs)? Personally, it takes about 2 hours before I start getting being productive and getting stuck into my side-business (i.e., 10pm)

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#59

Post by patio11 »

MikeMacMan wrote: post #42
gridspy wrote: post #11

Proud to see my blog post on HN. It has been a tough slog working full-time while spending every other waking moment on Gridspy. It doesn't help that I spend every waking moment thinking about it, even when I should be applying myself to my full-time job. Biggest challenges: 1) Starting work again at 7pm after dinner, and sticking with it as long as possible 2) Stopping at 10:30pm so I'm not dead after 2 days 3) Taki…

Thanks for writing this. I am in the same position, working full-time in a semi-demanding job, with a wife, son, big lawn to mow, etc. I've been working nights and weekends for over a year and am 2 months away from launching. My schedule looks almost exactly like yours. On Saturdays, I watch my son while my wife is at work, and I have the same mixed feelings about spending time with my son vs. working on my startup.…

I am in the same position, working full-time in a semi-demanding job, with a wife, son, big lawn to mow, etc.

Keep the job, keep the wife, keep the son, outsource the lawn.

Re: Part time Entrepreneur, fulltime Employee

#60

Post by hopeless »

gridspy wrote: post #11

Proud to see my blog post on HN. It has been a tough slog working full-time while spending every other waking moment on Gridspy. It doesn't help that I spend every waking moment thinking about it, even when I should be applying myself to my full-time job. Biggest challenges: 1) Starting work again at 7pm after dinner, and sticking with it as long as possible 2) Stopping at 10:30pm so I'm not dead after 2 days 3) Taki…

It's always great to hear of others attempting the same thing. Although, I must admit that I'm not applying myself to the day job - at all.

Bizarrely though, I've just had my annual review and got an above average rating, which is the same as the year I worked my ass off! Perhaps it just says more about the average than about me ;-)

Another limiting factor which I think you alluded to: just because you have a full-time job doesn't mean your savings (runway) is growing. Personally, my job doesn't even pay the bills so I need the side-business to generate income even if I keep the day job.

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