I'm not there yet. For me 'side project' is more a way of living, than a one-time effort to quit a day job. Even if my side project becomes main occupation some day, I'll come up with another side project to learn new things.
Ask HN: How long did you work on a side project until it was your full time job?
31–36 of 36 posts
Re: Ask HN: How long did you work on a side project until it was your full time job?
#32It took me 9 months. In two weeks I'm quoting a day job. I hit $2k MRR (after expenses) and finished contracting. I'm planning to use the runaway money from contracting at the beginning.
For me, the worst thing is siting at the office, doing job for someone else and not being able to care about my project and customers. Doing it full time is a huge relief.
Re: Ask HN: How long did you work on a side project until it was your full time job?
#33https://officesnapshots.com here -- I'd say it was 5 years of being a hobby before I decided to try to make it into my full-time job. Was a history teacher when I started the site. Another 2 years or so of temping, miscellaneous web work, and anything else to pay the bills. It has now been 2 years where the website is truly my full-time work and I'm looking to hire my first employee in the next few months. Pretty exc…
What's your business model like for Office Snapshots?
Primarily advertising based. I'd say that it resembles a magazine most.
Re: Ask HN: How long did you work on a side project until it was your full time job?
#34Back in 2006 I was making apps for SecondLife virtual world, it took six months to make the first $1000 in sales, then 3 months later it had grown to $5000/month so i quit my day job as a tech support rep. I did it for 4 years, now i'm back to consulting mostly because sales took a nose dive around 2009.
Re: Ask HN: How long did you work on a side project until it was your full time job?
#354 years. It was successful, but my previous job was pretty good also.
I eventually switched getting paid for my side project because, it was open source, better management, and I got paid better. And I love doing it.
Re: Ask HN: How long did you work on a side project until it was your full time job?
#36For me, about a year. I'm doing cloud design & deployment. Nervous because I know these contracts will not last forever. That, and I am the business. If something happens to me, I go from good money to $0 in no time flat. I got the work solely by word of mouth, and I'm not sure how to sell, to get more work.