I've been a full-time indie developer for four years now, and it is tough. I don't know if it's that much tougher than most other small businesses, I have friends who are dairy farmers, structural engineering contractors, graphics designers, an itinerant preacher or two... they've all got tough aspects to their respective professions, in some ways they're easier than mine, and in others way, way harder (I don't have to maintain the health of three to four hundred cows, for example.)

What I appreciate about Jeff's blogging over the years is his focus on sticking to a secret sauce, his is clearly an ability to put together classical RPG's with lovely writing. The reason I've been able to be a full-time indie is that I do both all the programming and all the art (painting/animating/modelling/etc) (As an example, I'm currently working on: https://store.steampowered.com/app/654960/The_Eldritch_Zooke...). The fact that I need to sell half the copies than a team or two is, it turns out, a massive advantage. That, and the specific voice I bring to the writing/design of the games, helps keep me going, and selling copies in a competitive environment that's shifted a lot since I started in 2015.

Finding that secret sauce, that niche, I think that's pretty important.