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Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

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Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#41
post #33

Is a safe 9-5 job inherently "meaningless" now? I am good at software development. I help a company with software development 8 hours per day and they pay me for my time. They take care of hardware, air condition, desk space, social stuff, cleaning, internet connection, tax pre-deduction and regular payment transfers. I get to focus on what I'm good at. My colleagues are pleasant and my work tasks are challenging. In…

What does your company sell?

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#42
It was part strategy in that I kept my day job (web developer at a university) and split my paycheck with my two co-founders so that we could start our business/product. I would work on the idea on nights and weekends.

Luck and faith came into play when we applied to YC and were accepted. At that point I quit my job to move to Mountain View.

There are no regrets today, but it was a difficult decision at the time. Keeping my day job allowed me to still feel secure while also pursuing something ambitious.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#45

I bought a side project from someone else that was doing 2K per month at the time and 4 years later, I have turned it into a 10+ person company (yes bootstrapped so slow but controlled growth and I own 100% of the company). So pretty happy about it. It cost me 60K upfront though which I had saved by working a miserable Wall St. Tech. Job. I just couldn't figure out how to get out of that routine. I had tons of ideas…

How did youfind whay project to buy? Are you active on the project, or going more passively?

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#46
post #33

Is a safe 9-5 job inherently "meaningless" now? I am good at software development. I help a company with software development 8 hours per day and they pay me for my time. They take care of hardware, air condition, desk space, social stuff, cleaning, internet connection, tax pre-deduction and regular payment transfers. I get to focus on what I'm good at. My colleagues are pleasant and my work tasks are challenging. In…

OP wasn't talking about objective meaning, but subjective meaning. They sound like they want to move on to doing something that fulfills them.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#47
>Did you have a strategy or was it a leap of faith?

Complete leap of faith. Got a very safe job in the French administration writing programs that manage pension for public servants and electronically archive documents. So safe I was bored to death and depressed.

I applied for a Canadian work Holiday Visa, got it with a friend, left and never looked back. My boss at the the time was so surprised I left such a safe place he literally told me "You've got balls" ("t'as des couilles"). Truth be told it was a matter of mental health.

I've spent two years in Vancouver, Canada, learned scala in a startup, met people I'm still in contact with. Now I live in the UK and work for the Guardian which is by an order of magnitude the best job I've ever had.

>Did you regret it later on?

Never. It was risky but it also was the best decision of my life. I just miss being closer to my family.

> Are you happy with the decision you made?

Yes

>Where do you think you would be today if you had decided to stay in that job?

Probably still integrating bloatware in order to manage French public servant pension, if not in hospital.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#48
post #22

I was product manager for fast growing product, but I was waking up at 5am every morning, just so I can do some coding before work and then do another coding session after I get back from work. That managerial job was ok and it paid well, but still my morning/evening coding sessions is what I was looking for all day. One day I was like "Cmon somebody will always pay me to write a code." I had some savings, didn't hav…

I’m also in my thirties and have a 1 year old boy. I want to wake up at 5, but can’t find the power and energy. What would you suggest me?

Get your kid on a sleep schedule. There are a few books out there how to do that or you can ask a doctor or sleep specialist. The key is consistency. Go to bed at 9pm, maybe even 8-8:30 if possible (if you get woken up at night). Wake up at 5am. If you consistently wake up at 5am your body will adjust. Sometimes your kid can help with that. Usually they are up at 6am.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#49

I bought a side project from someone else that was doing 2K per month at the time and 4 years later, I have turned it into a 10+ person company (yes bootstrapped so slow but controlled growth and I own 100% of the company). So pretty happy about it. It cost me 60K upfront though which I had saved by working a miserable Wall St. Tech. Job. I just couldn't figure out how to get out of that routine. I had tons of ideas…

Literally in the same position (miserable WS tech gig). How'd you get the grit to make the jump?

These miserable WS tech gigs pay well right?

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?

#50
Understand that when it's up to YOU to keep the lights on, it's an entirely different beast. It's not glamorous, esp if you're a 'small business owner'.

You will need to learn that your goal is to NOT make a profit, because taxes will really piss you off.

Your goal will be to break even, or take a loss.

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