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Comment by skizm | Hacker News Reader

This whole ordeal has been pretty enlightening. One of the reasons I have failed to jump into something of my own (consulting, start a business, etc.) is because I am constantly thinking about how to survive the worst case scenario, and I can't come up with a fallback plan I'm happy with. It turns out the vast majority of people who have made the leap don't think about this at all, they just go. Not sure if this will change my behavior going forward, just an observation.

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With a scenario this immense, I'm not sure you're all that much more protected in a 9-5 'job' vs being a self-employed consultant. I do agree that many folks jump ahead without too much planning for the future, and... sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. I've been burned a few times in the past, and while I am still self-employed, I've become a lot more cautious and reserved in my operations and personal life.

With this kind of scenario, if you have a 9-5 job, you have a very clear transition to unemployment. If you're a consultant... There is definitely government will and intent to help you, but you're a square peg, and the unemployment offices are still figuring out how to best fit you into a round hole.

I agree. As an employee, you assume some of the same downside as the business owner, and little of the upside. If the business fails, you are out of a job. If the business does well, you might get a small raise.

Well, start an antifragile business. Currently it seems to be Zoom and the like, logistics systems (workforce planning, last-mile delivery planning) and similar that are in bigger demand due to job cuts (harder to do all the work with less people).

The thing now people need the most is the thing you can do.

I mean... you can only remain employed because the government offers a guaranteed insurance program for employment, but doesn't for business. There's no real reason why employment is safer other than government subsidies to appease the masses.

I work a regular job and still have the fear of losing an income. For me, the best way to deal with this fear was to focus on generating some uncorrelated income outside of my job.

The perceived safety of a full time job is a fallacy that many business owners rely upon in order to build their businesses.

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