Agreed, that's not a pragmatic path. But if starting a business is your goal, and finding a viable idea is your obstacle, I'd argue this is a sure-shot way of FINDING said idea.

Some potential paths can be:

1. SWE @ SW company -> "BA" @ non SW company or whatever term is used for generic-problem-solver in that industry.

2. Part-time hourly work in another industry. This is fairly easy through temp agencies.

3. Apprenticeship in another industry (perhaps in more hands-on industries).

Some are hard to get, others don't pay as well. But to find gold, I'd say some level of hardship is required, and this, in my view, is a bulletproof way of finding that gold.

Whether you're able to dig it out and then able to sell it at a profit, is totally another question.