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Comment by jcadam | Hacker News Reader

I have had some side projects make a little bit of money, but never enough to make any sort of headway toward replacing my full-time job.

My current effort is also a side business while I continue to work my FT job. It is definitely detrimental to the business to continue to devote 40+ hours per week to something else, but I need to feed my family (if I was young and single with no other financial obligations, I would totally just quit the day job and live on canned meat and potatoes) :/

My advice - if you're young, take your financial risks now. It only gets harder to do later :)

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Depending on how far you take your business while young, you may find it difficult to go back to regular employment, especially in places where people expect you to be reliable and dedicated.

I'm not sure young people can take financial risks, unless they're already rich. If they're not rich, I'd sooner advise people to work for long enough to have a safety net of cash, as well as cash to invest in their idea first. A bonus you get while working is that you meet people who can potentially help you in your business later on. Seeing what's involved in a real business will also help you make more realistic estimates of what you'll need in your own.

The average age of the successful startup/business founder is way older than what the media lets people know by showing only the youngest entrepreneurs i.e. the outliers who are noteworthy. Those people happen to have industry experience and money that can be "risked".

> The average age of the successful startup/business founder is way older than what the media lets people know by showing only the youngest entrepreneurs i.e. the outliers who are noteworthy.

Interesting point. If I think back to the person I was in my mid-20s, I would not have had the dedication, confidence, people skills, or even the technical know-how to pull off anything approaching a successful business (I still may not for all I know, but I'm trying). However, I've met a few brilliant people in that age range who seemed to excel in all of those attributes I just listed :) -- but they're definitely extreme outliers, as you say.

> I'm not sure young people can take financial risks, unless they're already rich.

It's a lot easier to take a financial risk when you have no dependents and no mortgage.

I quit my job to start a business in my late 20s, when I was single and had no kids. I will say that another reply's statement is very true: "If I think back to the person I was in my mid-20s, I would not have had the dedication, confidence, people skills, or even the technical know-how to pull off anything approaching a successful business."

In my case, I just wanted to be in charge of my own destiny for awhile, with the freedom to screw up. (And I did screw up.) Although I wish I did things differently, the experience itself was worthwhile. Our modern upbringings are so structured that "starting our own business" really just turns into an outlet for avoiding authority for awhile.

During my 20s, I was in graduate school and I had no money. Now I'm in my 30s making good developer money, and while I have a mortgage I also have enough saved to pay it for a long time.

I also have no dependents, which is obviously the big difference maker.

> I also have no dependents, which is obviously the big difference maker.

Yep. Just try to build significant savings with a wife and 3 kids. I'll probably never have more than a couple of months' pay sitting in savings. I realize if I lived alone I could easily live on 1/3 of my current salary. Ah well, life choices and all that...

Hah, I worry about this. I started my business at 25. I've never had a job. I'm not sure how employable I would be if I ever needed one. I rarely work the same number of hours each day, and I don't keep a set schedule.

As such, a safety net is a bit priority. Enough so I could start another business if mine ever gets problems.

This sounds very similar to my history. I've built a number of projects on the side, one of which my current employer purchased for a decent sum of money (and then hired me). I continue to build projects on the side, but I just don't have the necessary time to commit to them.

I finally bit the bullet last week and put in my 2 week notice to work on side projects full time. I have enough money to cover myself comfortably for several years, and I have no dependents - this is an opportunity I may never get again. I'm giving myself 1 year to see what I can build, and then I'll decide what to do.

Worst case I go find another job in a year.

As one with family but also safety cushion I would also recommend a middle option for those in fear: negotiate part-time switch. Start with 4/5 days job to heal burn-out and spend Fridays on some own side experiments.

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