Need Advice: Quitting Job to Learn to Code... (and start my business)

So, I've been contemplating this for a while and really need some advice. I'll try to be brief, but I apologize if I drag this on.

I work full time at a job I hate. Although it pays pretty well... I work until 9+ PM 25% of my time (like this week). It will be like that throughout January and February, for instance. Additionally, my commute (which varies due to where I have to be) is often two hours a day.

Ultimately, all of this time kills my ability to really learn code and focus on my business. I lose out on hours AND on mental stamina. It sucks. I'm all for working hard and would easily work 10+ hours (and can stay focused fairly easily) per day on something I am passionate about (this would include coding as 1. I know it'll help me create my business and 2. I think I'll enjoy it)

Currently, I have designed a website mockup, landing page, reached out to potential customers, and now I know I need to create. I consider myself competent on both the business and design side of things. I've been making small attempts to find tech co-founder, but it's difficult with no real traction (and no friends who do any programming at all, although one who is willing to learn... but that's another story).

So, I am at a crossroads. I am incredibly dedicated when I want something. I love learning. And I really want my business to succeed, not just for my benefit even, but because I truly believe my vision can make a great impact.

At this point, it looks like it will be very difficult to find a tech co-founder. Most are already doing their own thing, working for a startup with traction, or looking to work for a startup with traction. Someone like me, understandably so, is last on the list. Even if I find someone interested, I will be a difficult judge of talent. Additionally, we will need to work well together, have visions that fall in line, and so on... the perfect match is probably impossible. Even finding a reasonable match is incredibly difficult. It could take weeks, months, over a year...

In all that time/effort spent looking for someone, I am confident I can learn to code and develop something. I don't expect to be incredibly proficient, but be able to create something useable I hope. My idea isn't rocket science here. It's taking common internet technologies and combining them together. Ultimately, it's an idea and business that hasn't really hit its stride yet. I'm betting on the fact that it will and I want to be the business that is a part of (or the reason for) that.

I just don't know what to do. Fortunately, I am living at home for now and stay put if need be. That eliminates some obvious costs. However, having an income is helpful. Additionally, I definitely don't want to "waste" time. I'm one of those people who is always moving and doing something... I account for all my time internally. I want to make sure if I do leave my job it's the right thing to do and that I don't spend months without an income and end up with nothing to show for it.

So, if you guys could give me your thoughts, suggestions, anything you want to say, I'd greatly appreciate it. I would approach advice regarding the decision itself (i.e. "Leave your job! Go for it!" or "Stay there! Don't leave!") or advice on how to approach the situation after a decision is made (i.e. "If you leave, approach learning to code by reading X, Y, Z..." or "If you stay, look for a tech co-founder by trying X, Y, Z or use your salary to outsource a minimum viable product"). Or anything else you want to say! Please!

Last thing... I just want to say this forum is awesome and I love reading through the threads and great news articles everyone posts. I'm glad I found it.

That said, sounds like from this line:

>I want to make sure if I do leave my job it's the right thing to do and that I don't spend months without an income and end up with nothing to show for it.

..that you are not ready to quit your job yet. It's a fairly high probability that this is exactly what will happen. If you aren't comfortable with that fact, then you don't have the risk tolerance necessary to go for this. At the least though, I can say that if you do go through with it, no matter the outcome, I highly doubt you will think you 'wasted your time'. If you look at the report-backs on HN of those who have failed, almost everyone has learned some skills and life lessons that made up for the experience.

I realize I won't be raking in money or something. Hell, perhaps I won't even have my MVP close to implemented after those months. However, I'm completely content if I feel that I've made good progress in terms of my learning to code and being close to my goal of creating an MVP (which is really my main goal right now, learning to code being the path to that).

I guess I just want advice from you guys, as hackers, to someone who can just do HTML and CSS. Is it worthwhile to leave my job to learn code. Can I ever be proficient enough for a future tech co-founder or investor to care?

I guess if I learn enough to create MVP and gain traction, then that answers my question. Thanks for that reply, it helped me think that phrase through a little clearer. If I decide to leave, I'll have to keep my expectations on my accomplishments reasonable.

- How much selling do you have to do to break even?

- How long do you have until you get that much selling?

That gives you the numbers.

Coding is not as easy as some make it sound (nor as hard as other make it sound). If you get the functionality working to a degree where customers are paying for it and sticking around, you probably can find a techie to revamp it.

Personally, I am sufficiently risk averse that for most products I've thought of, I'd have to see cash incoming before I quit my job.

A question they bring up in my mind though would be the opportunity cost of creating it myself vs. outsourcing.

If I ultimately plan on finding a tech co-founder to come on board and revamp it, hopefully playing the part of CTO, then it seems wise to compare the costs of getting there via my own work vs. outsourcing, no?

DO IT MYSELF

Benefits

1. I learn skills that will help when doing simple iterations (before having tech partner on board), assessing future tech partner, and attracting tech partner.

2. I hate my job and would rather learn to code and build my business.

Costs

1. The time it takes to learn is time I can't be earning a salary. This could be up to 6 months or more. Let's say this costs me 30k.

OUTSOURCING

Benefits

1. I keep my salary (even though I hate my job) while MVP is created. This could be positive 30k+.

2. Outsourcing the MVP is likely far faster, let's say 2 months. This also means I can potentially get to customers faster and gain traction (maybe find partner faster as well)

Costs:

1. Of course, the outsourcing itself over those 2 months could very well be 250 hours of work. At 50 dollars an hour (reasonable?), that's 12.5k. Let's assume 10-15k range.

2. Unfortunately, I lose out in terms of learning, which helps in terms of iterating (before having tech partner) and finding and evaluating potential tech partner.

To me, it looks like outsourcing has the potential to save me in both time (a couple of months, at least) and money (15 - 20k). I guess I need to assess if learning to code myself extensively if worth that cost if I don't plan on really becoming incredibly proficient (as I recognize it takes years).

Any opinions on that analysis of the situation?

edit* I just wanted to mention I don't claim that my above analysis is accurate. It could very well take an entire year to develop a useable MVP myself, which would be 60k in opportunity cost. Additionally, the outsourcing estimate of 15k and 2 months could be 30k and 4 months, or more. I am not expert on the implementation and realize that. Please consider that and take the idea behind the analysis into consideration rather than the numbers themselves.