Bootstrapped https://artcall.org and trying to gain traction on https://ezzl.art while employed full time elsewhere.
FYI, I cannot scroll down on on artcall.org.
Oh strange, can’t reproduce. Are you on mobile or desktop? Browser?
Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
31–40 of 193 posts
Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#32Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#33Tread carefully. If you’re going to do this, read your current employment agreement carefully especially the parts about Intellectual Property. Every medium-to-large company I have worked at has asserted ownership of everything I build, at work or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time—it doesn't matter. If your employer can imagne a conflict of interest (for example could what you are working on pote…
"asserted ownership of everything I build, at work or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time—it doesn't matter"
That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Assuming you're not stealing technology, or doing it on their time or machines, there is no way a court would uphold that. If I build a house, or rebuild a car in my off time, they own that too? Corporations don't own your entire life.
Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#34Tread carefully. If you’re going to do this, read your current employment agreement carefully especially the parts about Intellectual Property. Every medium-to-large company I have worked at has asserted ownership of everything I build, at work or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time—it doesn't matter. If your employer can imagne a conflict of interest (for example could what you are working on pote…
It also depends on where you live. It is illegal for an employer to do this in California. But just be sure to always do your side work on your own time and your own equipment.
Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#35Tread carefully. If you’re going to do this, read your current employment agreement carefully especially the parts about Intellectual Property. Every medium-to-large company I have worked at has asserted ownership of everything I build, at work or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time—it doesn't matter. If your employer can imagne a conflict of interest (for example could what you are working on pote…
> [...] or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time [...] That sounds illegal.
It is illegal in California
Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#36Might be easier to combine a day job with freelancing rather than having a startup.
It depends, serious freelancing often requires some kind availability/responsiveness within business hours which may be tough with full-time day job. Of course the same applies to any high touch customer startup too.
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Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#37I've got two cash flow positive side-projects while maintaining full-time employment, having a life, wife, and kid.
BreezyPDF - https://breezypdf.com - Dead simple PDF generation from URLs. Comes with a rails middleware so all you have to do is add .pdf to the end of a URL to download a PDF of that URL.
HOALife - https://hoalife.com - A CC&R Inspection and Enforcement tool for property managers.
Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
> [...] or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time [...] That sounds illegal.
It is illegal in California
And Washington State. But actually some states (Montana comes to mind) have laws that can restrict you to one employer at a time.
Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#39Tread carefully. If you’re going to do this, read your current employment agreement carefully especially the parts about Intellectual Property. Every medium-to-large company I have worked at has asserted ownership of everything I build, at work or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time—it doesn't matter. If your employer can imagne a conflict of interest (for example could what you are working on pote…
I don't understand this how the hell would they even know what you are doing at home?
If your home project gains a little traction to financially support you then you quit the day job, and don't tell them anything. If not then it's some private home project you do.
Can't believe you are making decisions on what you do at home based on some company that could easily disappear, lay you off, get sold, etc etc, before your side projects ever materialize.
Absurd!
Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?
#40Spent the better part of two years building a local food and drink promotion side gig. Building connections, making money, social life, growing photography skills and traveling for something I'm already doing in my life, eating and drinking. Cliche as it may be, that's the key, particularly when adding ANOTHER job on top of your day job. You have to enjoy the shit out of it.