Dear hn, today i resign & risk it all to follow my heart. wish me luck.
working for the man in this cubicle for 5 years has crushed my spirit. i learned to program and today i put in my 2 weeks. time to discover how to make a living off the internet and leave my mark on history.
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[ 5.4 ms ] story [ 52.8 ms ] threadBest of luck to you either way!
2 days a week is not much to educate myself, map out a site, design it, and program it. i am 10 months into this task and the site is at maybe 70%.
my wife and son are demanding more of my time and attention and since this job has turned into little more than a means to pay for the car i need to get there, it's making sense to sell the car, finish this project, and see what comes of it.
Thanks for the advice.
Be sure to post your project here once you launch.
I did the same thing in the fall of 2008, except that I taught myself to program _after_ quitting my job. I went into freelance consulting with Ruby on Rails and have been doing that ever since.
I envy you that 5 years was enough for you to take this step. I am still trying to do it after almost 9 years even though technically I am a contractor but still got the 9-5 cubicle work.
Now, good luck, work hard, don't get demoralized easily and associate with people who are better than you in aspects that you care about.
Here's some advice though. Asking to wish you luck sounds like you're not entirely confident about your decision. Furthermore, posting here on HN makes it look you've already achieved something, but it's really just the beginning.
Whenever I intent to do something important, I never tell anyone in advance. It's not about fearing to be looked at as a failure in other's eyes. It's about not considering taking a decision as an achievement. It's like when someone decides to work out to lose some pounds and tell everyone 'Hey, I just bought a new running outfit, check it out!' thinking 'Wow, I've done it!' when they actually haven't done anything yet.
I care about what I've done, not about what I've said I would do. So I keep things to myself until I've got something concrete to show.
I'm sorry if I sound harsh, especially when I don't know anything about your situation. I just wanted to say to stay focused, and to find motivation within yourself first and foremost. Your decision is a great one, but it's just the start.
I also work on a boring job that drain all my energy, and in some way I envy you. I would like to have your courage. But as my current job is still bearable, I'm working on my own product on the spare time. But I'm working as a software developer only for 3 years, so I don't know if I could do it in your your situation.
Keep in mind that your family is the most important thing in this world. Do whatever is needed to keep their future secure. So for now, I have decided to keep my dilbert day job, until the US decides that I can work for myself without any strings attached.
Good luck though, this still beats sitting in a cubicle.