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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?

#51

Post by chrisweekly »

Got laid off. Started taking contract gigs. Found I preferred it. Partnered w/ a collective of consultants founded by a friend and former colleague. Established my S-Corp and committed to consulting. Now I make more $ and have more autonomy than ever before. It comes w/ some uncertainty and some downsides, but what doesn't? I don't expect ever to go back to traditional employment.

I haven't yet reached the point where I only ever work on projects that are particularly meaningful in terms of impact on the world, but I have more time w/ my wife and daughters and dogs and guitar, and I take every July off to go sailing... so it's a lot closer to "dream job" than anything else I've yet come across.

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

#52

Post by justaguyhere »

dejv wrote: 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…

even bought a farm (don't ask)

I know you said don't ask, but I guess there is a good story there. so why the farm? :P

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

#53

Post by chrisweekly »

chrisweekly wrote: post #51

Got laid off. Started taking contract gigs. Found I preferred it. Partnered w/ a collective of consultants founded by a friend and former colleague. Established my S-Corp and committed to consulting. Now I make more $ and have more autonomy than ever before. It comes w/ some uncertainty and some downsides, but what doesn't? I don't expect ever to go back to traditional employment. I haven't yet reached the point wher…

P.S. The "safe" job might not be as safe as it seems. Stuff happens. Acknowledging this reality and being prepared to adapt and move on is crucial, and much harder if you're complacent and stay put based on the illusion of security. There's a huge opportunity cost in basing life decisions on risk avoidance.

As for "meaning", one can find purpose and merit in almost anything, it's more about mindset than circumstance!

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

#54

Post by codegeek »

jamisteven wrote: post #37
codegeek wrote: post #26

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?

there is no one way really. I just had enough of it and was lucky to have some money and timing on that flippa project. But I don't consider it just luck. I think of it as me being proactive because I have been browsing flippa type sites for years. So the key is: do something. anything. Even if small. But do it towards your goal.

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

#55

Post by codegeek »

lionpixel wrote: post #38
codegeek wrote: post #26

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…

Can I ask on which platform you bought the project? Would like to do something similar.

flippa.

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

#56

Post by benmorris »

I had a "plan" but it was still a leap of faith, leaving a 8-5 steady job with no income. My enabling factor was a good amount of savings and low debt. I had around 1 year of comfortable living to figure it all out.

Staying at my last job wasn't an option so I'd have a different job for sure, but not satisfied with what I was doing with my time. I find running a business and developing my own products much more rewarding. 7 years later I don't have any regrets although running a business is a whole new set of challenges.

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

#57

Post by amyjess »

Deestan wrote: 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…

Agreed. I take serious exception to the notion that a safe 9-5 job is something that needs to be "escaped".

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

#58

Post by avh02 »

alex_duf wrote: post #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 pl…

Nice! The Guardian was my dream job for a while... I put together an application, submitted it - and a week later all tech job openings disappeared. open source too - so I found the PR removing the job descriptions on github, it was quite a funny and surreal experience.

Keep up the good work!

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

#59

Post by extrememacaroni »

Deestan wrote: 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 didn't claim safe jobs are inherently meaningless nor did he allude to the claim.

OP is trying to find a state where he's happy, you seem to have already found one, so good for you.

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

#60

Post by mrfusion »

codegeek wrote: post #55
lionpixel wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can I ask on which platform you bought the project? Would like to do something similar.

flippa.

Last time I looked it seemed almost impossible to find SAAS businesses on those platforms. I’d love to do exactly what you did!
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