

Those first few hard steps - zxcvvcxz

You know what I'm talking about.<p>You're working a mediocre (or worse) job to pay the bills. You get home tired each day, but got to work on that prototype for your business idea and/or side project. If you work a desk job in the day that might mean too many hours needed in front of the computer screen. Maybe a bit too much isolation as well, especially if it consumes your weekends.<p>Because of time restrictions, it's likely you'll have nothing to show for months. On top of that, we all know that most projects go nowhere, even if they make it to completion.<p>So how do you do it?
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mootothemax
What first got me started was my annoyance at realising how many days, weeks
and months over the years I've wasted by reading sites like HN and Reddit
instead of _just doing something_.

Combine that with the thought that if you'd begun your project at the start of
2012, you'd now already have something to show for it.

When it comes to projects going nowhere, it's true that a bit of luck helps.
At the same time - how're you going to get that luck if you never get started?

Now, for the number one tip that I wished someone had told me several years
ago: building and coding you project is the easy bit. Really, it is - you know
what needs to be done, and you can sit down and work it out.

So you need to start from the marketing side of things - know in advance who
your customers will be, how you're going to reach them, and whether they'll
buy your product.

If you can take care of this, you'll have to be making some pretty major
errors to - at worst - not be paying the rent with it.

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kintamanimatt
This might not work for you, but perhaps you can "pay yourself first" by going
to bed soon after you come home from your day job, and wake up super early to
work on your business. Give your best energy to yourself rather than your best
energy to your job.

Just make sure you're not too tired to drive home.

Also, not to be glib, but coffee. :-)

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orangethirty
I remind myself that where I am today is a direct result of the decisions I
took five years ago. My goal now is to make better decisions that will allow
me to be in a better place in five years. Just remember one thing: things take
time to happen.

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ifewalter
well, i suppose that is why a lot of people quit their jobs in the first
place.

But if you really MUST stay with the job, get co-founders to help out. But it
"might" be difficult finding a passionate co-founder who will understand why
you cant quit a mediocre job to focus on YOUR own dream

