
Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business? - Dockson
My goal in life (as of right now at least) is to start my own SaaS business so that I can eventually quit my 40 hour work week and have more time for things I enjoy doing. To reach that goal I am first compiling practical advice from people who have already been through that process and are now sharing that advice around ideation and idea validation, marketing, pricing, etc.<p>I&#x27;ve been looking for book recommendations on this topic both here on HN and also on Indiehackers and while there are many books that are most certainly relevant in some ways and generally just good reads, I would like to start out by asking you if there are any books you&#x27;ve read that specifically give this type of advice. I say books to keep it simple but am of course also open to other types of high-quality resources like blog series or conference talks.<p>Looking forward to hearing about all the great things you guys have read!
======
tnolet
By all means, read the books mentioned in this thread.

And then drop it and just start working.

There is a large swath of self-branded Indie Hackers who cling to books,
blogs, conferences etc. but are too paralyzed by all the advice and input to
actually do the one thing they need to: get customers.

Disclaimer: I run my own SaaS and visit Indiehacker meetups and stuff. I’m not
a nay sayer, just stay skeptical.

~~~
ganstyles
I've found this to be true in a lot of subjects. When I started really getting
into machine learning a few years ago, I did all the courses, refreshed on my
college math, followed tutorials to learn things like tensor flow. But despite
all that, I was totally flummoxed on my first day as an ML engineer at work.
It wasn't until I started building things to solve problems and learned
practical lessons by doing that (with messy data vs toy prepared datasets)
that I really excelled. I wouldn't be surprised if this tactic of just
starting working would help here too.

So, even though I haven't specifically built a saas business by myself, though
I have a bunch of experience growing small startups to medium to large
companies, I would echo this advice.

~~~
akabaka101
Did you work on any projects before getting the ML job? i try to learn by
myself but never seems to me any employer would hire me on the basis of doing
online courses. So how did you end up crossing that gap?

~~~
ironchef
You need to find an employer who is hiring based on potential or potential + a
track record in a different area. I wouldn't hire an ML practitioner with no
practical experience. I would hire someone who's produced in other areas and
is looking to make the move to a junior ML practitioner (or who has domain
expertise in our corner of the world).. It's like the rest of engineering...
just because you've taken a course in Python doesn't make you a software
engineer or proficient in it. Now show me that you've done things in other
languages and we can start talking. Like, courses in ML don't _really_ teach
you about things like:

* reproducing model training * deployment of experiments in a CI/CD pipeline * observability of models * discoverability and governance of results * versioning of data / models * optimizing for latency vs throughput * when to use batch vs real time etc

Just like a course in a computer language wouldn't necessarily teach you about
CI/CD, horizontal vs vertical scaling, or domain-specific bits.

~~~
ganstyles
Just seeing this. This is exactly right ime, I had years of senior full stack
SWE experience /track record of SWE at my employ and was able to get myself on
a RNN project initially, then expanded from there. I didn't get hired at a new
company as an ML person out of the gate.

------
mtlynch
Fellow aspiring solo founder here! Here are a few books/resources I've found
helpful:

\---

 _The Mom Test_ by Rob Fitzpatrick

This book stresses the idea of starting with customer interviews before you
build anything and how to ask questions of prospective customers to get
meaningful information when people's bias is to just tell you, "Yeah, that
sounds like a good idea," even though they'd never pay money for it. I spent a
long time trying to apply it, and the struggle was that in my experience,
customers who don't mind diving deep into their unsolved problems for an
aspiring founder are a disjoint group from customers who have serious money to
spend.

My notes: [https://mtlynch.io/book-reports/the-mom-
test/](https://mtlynch.io/book-reports/the-mom-test/)

\---

 _Start Small, Stay Small_ by Rob Walling

This is a bit dated, but I think it has valuable takeaways. The most important
for me was the value in marketing to small niche customers. Big competitors
are less interested in catering to niche groups, and the more specialized, the
easier they are to find and market to (e.g., they all read the same magazine
or attend the same convention).

My notes: [https://mtlynch.io/book-reports/start-small-stay-
small/](https://mtlynch.io/book-reports/start-small-stay-small/)

\---

"Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business: Jason Cohen, Founder, WP Engine"
([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otbnC2zE2rw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otbnC2zE2rw))

A good recording of a MicroConf talk about useful things to consider when
building a new Saas business.

~~~
jurgenwerk
Start Small, Stay small is 10 years old. A lot has changed since then. The
author made an unfortunate decision to write extensively about things that are
not perennial. So after reading for a while about software tools and practices
that are now dead or outdated, describing the limitations of an iPhone 3G,
etc, I decided to stop and return the book.

~~~
rwalling
The author here.

Yep, that makes sense. I’ll say most marketing books I listen to that are 10
years old are brutally out of date.

The focus on detail that made the book a success also made it go out of date
relatively quickly.

It needs an update. That is on my to do list most years (between running
MicroConf and TinySeed) and one of these days I will circle back and get it
done.

Honestly, this weighs on me. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years.

~~~
random_savv
Sounds like you started small* and stayed small :-)

* in the niche sense

------
p0d
I'm stuck on your opening statement rather than your question. I did the 40hr
week and now do what you aspire to do.

Your life will be more challenging if you start a SAAS business. It will not
be easier. The only people in SAAS I know with an easy life poured their life
into their company and things came good. Investors are starting to see SAAS as
a 10yr investment, to give you a sense of time. Ironically those I know who
have done well are some of the busiest people I know. I guess they are driven
and love their work.

I think what you are describing is working part time. Maybe this is a valid
option if you want to have more time doing your own thing?

The startup world likes the approach of make a plan and work backwards which
is what you are currently doing. I would just suggest you re-frame your
expectations. Read Peter Thiel's books but talk to the average SAAS Joe as
well as we are not all SAAS rock stars :-)

~~~
tchock23
Glad someone mentioned this. I fell hard for the idea of the mythical SaaS
that just produces monthly recurring revenue and magically grows month-over-
month. Boy was I wrong.

The reality is lots and lots of customer support, constant development of new
features to stay competitive, new (cheaper) entrants cloning your product once
they see you're successful, ever-evolving privacy regulations, sleepless
nights over security concerns, long payback periods on the cost of acquiring a
customer (depending on your pricing), etc.

~~~
codegeek
And Dont forget customer churn .

------
victor9000
Having done this a few times, the biggest advise I can give is that time is
your most valuable resource. So look to maximize this resource with each
decision you make. For example, in buy vs build situations you should err on
the side of buy. You can find affordable services that will handle close to
100% of your generic SaaS needs. So don't reinvent the wheel, and go with as
much off-the-shelf as possible.

~~~
josephjrobison
What are some examples of those services that handle close to 100% of SaaS
needs?

~~~
abiogenesis
Three examples: Authentication, payment processing, invoices:

[https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/not-in-house-on-
reinventi...](https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/not-in-house-on-reinventing-
the-wheel/)

I would add things like sending newsletters (Mailchimp), monitoring (Sentry),
various types of analytics (Segment, Hotjar) to the list.

------
heurist
As others have mentioned, the important thing is to start. Build something and
get it in front of potential customers, figure out what is wrong about it and
revise. But these helped me as I built a SaaS startup over the last few years:

Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy
It, Love It
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PPW5V9C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PPW5V9C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_MR7FEbF70RKFY)

The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SLDD5YV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SLDD5YV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_OU7FEbJZVWDDM)

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0189PVAWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0189PVAWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_bW7FEbXWNA32R)

Who: The A Method for Hiring
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001H97LVO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001H97LVO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_sX7FEb0G7NCQM)

The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (And Why They Don't)
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0149NJXMO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0149NJXMO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_uY7FEb7PC5S87)

I have more recommendations as well but they might just be distractions until
you get started.

------
ucacian
If your motivation for starting a business is to have more time, then I would
recommend Financial Independence Retire Early(FIRE) instead.

A good place to start:
[https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/](https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/)

I used to be just like you. I wanted to start a business so that I wouldn't
have to work for anyone! I'm going to be my own boss!

The reality is that instead of working for one boss, you are going to be
working for 1000 bosses. Unless you like sales and customer support, you are
going to be miserable.

The odds of having a successful business are low. And even if you do succeed,
you are going to have to keep working anyway. It's not like you build it once
and forget it.

On the other hand, if you have a six-figure job, you can retire in 5 to 15
years depending on your lifestyle. There is no uncertainty. No emotional
roller coaster. This fail-proof path will give you a peace of mind.

------
jmstfv
As someone who recently launched a SaaS business, I'd say your rate of
learning increases _dramatically_ after you launch a business, however
successful it is. It's certainly helpful to learn about other's experiences,
but nothing beats launching the business on your own. Even reading books after
you launch feels different: you tend to appreciate the advice more, and start
noticing all the nuances you were glossing over before.

------
poulsbohemian
The E-myth / E-myth Revisited.

I’d argue anyone in business - as either an employee, entrepreneur, manager,
etc - should read it because the basic lessons are universally applicable to
every business, regardless of size or industry. Especially as a solo
practitioner, there’s value in understanding the dangers of doing everything
yourself.

------
goatherders
What do you need to learn? Product? Design? Sales? There is a lot that can be
found in books, sure. But no one book or even series of books will give you a
map that's even remotely on point for the journey you want to understake.

My advice would be to build something and get a customer. Then get another. By
the time you have 10 customers you'll know as much as the books could teach
you...and you'll have 10 customers.

------
factsaresacred
Before you earn the success that affords more free time, prepare for 100+ hour
work weeks.

It's a paradox that in order to obtain more free time you'll likely have to
spend years handing over hour upon hour to your business.

If you pull it off, however, the business will give you back that time with
freedom as interest.

I don't have a book to recommend but this guy's comments are usually gold:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=jasonkester](https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=jasonkester).
He offers good advice and seems to live the life that you aspire to. Note the
ten years of work though:

> _The entire goal of building a business, in my mind, is to get the point
> where you can lounge on a beach or travel the world and not need to actively
> engage in anything except the pursuit of happiness. I personally averaged
> out at a little less than four hours of work per week in 2017, running the
> sort of low maintenance, feature complete, Software-as-a-Service business
> that the author spends a paragraph explaining is not in fact a "serious
> company".

> But look at the product and you'll see craftsmanship. Ten years of work, in
> fact as of roughly today. But never at the author's pace. Always at mine.
> Those two things are not mutually exclusive. That's the great thing about
> building a business. You can do it any way you like_.

~~~
Dockson
>If you pull it off, however, the business will give you back that time with
freedom as interest.

That's a wonderful way to put it. I will definitely check out his comments.
Thank you!

------
xwdv
> _My goal in life (as of right now at least) is to start my own SaaS business
> so that I can eventually quit my 40 hour work week and have more time for
> things I enjoy doing._

How does it feel knowing you are going to die and get buried and probably
never accomplish that goal? Because it’s time for you to open yourself to that
grim reality.

A one man SaaS will take a lot more of your time than your 40 hour a week job.
Do you plan to have a wife and kid(s)? Those will also take more of your time.
Your time is going to get eaten up between your one man SaaS, your family,
maintaining yourself (food, sleep, exercise). After all those things have been
attended to, then maybe you will have some time to spend on things you
actually enjoy.

Be straight with what you want man and don’t beat around the bush. Do you
_want_ a SaaS business, or do you just want a way to make great money with as
little effort as possible so you can trade work time for fun time doing
whatever you want?

Because there is plenty of advice that can be given for the latter, and none
of it involves SaaS. The first step to living a life of productive leisure is
to admit that you simply want a life of leisure, and go straight for it. Don’t
come up with indirect paths like building a SaaS that you think will sound
more acceptable or noble to the rest of society or your parents.

But if you’re hellbent on a SaaS because you just want a SaaS, good luck to
you. Hopefully building a SaaS is how you want to spend the majority of your
time.

~~~
icebraining
> go straight for it

What does this mean, though?

------
transitivebs
Here's a curated list of free resources and e-books that I've found incredibly
useful: [https://blog.saasify.sh/indie-saas-
resources/](https://blog.saasify.sh/indie-saas-resources/)

~~~
Dockson
This is great, thank you!

------
chowes
Not a book, but Microconf has been posting all of their talks on YouTube:
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHoBKQDRkJcOY2BO47q5Ruw](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHoBKQDRkJcOY2BO47q5Ruw)

------
drusepth
I started my own SaaS business on the side and quit my 40 hour work week a
couple years later to work full time on it (and have been loving doing so ever
since).

You'll probably get a lot of practical suggestions on processes from others
here, but I really enjoyed Peter Thiel's Zero to One book. It's not 100%
relevant since he rambles pretty hard throughout and a lot of it needs a pinch
of salt since he's so contrarian, but there's a lot of really good gems in
there about how to build something legitimately new to create your own pie of
income (including chapters on marketing, pricing, etc), instead of building
something to get a small slice of an existing market.

------
jariel
"quit my 40 hour work week and have more time for things I enjoy doing"

Given that basically everyone would like to do this, I suggest it's a rather
challenging thing to do in that it's highly competitive, and that the vast
majority of Entrepreneurs, bootstrapped or otherwise, work longer hours than
average.

If you calculate risk into the equation, it does not look good.

If your real objective is 'work-life balance' then there's probably an
opportunity for you to contract and consult x-hours a week that has
considerably lower risk dynamics.

But if your actual goal is really to start a business, then obviously that's
what you want to do.

------
t0mislav
Make book from Pieter Levels.

From my point of view, he is very productive, successful, willing to give ton
of advice.

He has few good websites (or call it startup or whatever).

------
lumannnn
I can strongly recommend
[https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/](https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/)

There's also a Podcast, Newsletter and the creator is active on Twitter and
responds to questions.

In short:

\- packed with first-hand experience

\- easy to follow

\- instantly useful

\- the best advice for making something with actually returns money: find and
solve a "critical" problem. Learn how to look & find them.

Start small while listening to it.

Also, I've found "This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See"
by Seth Godin to be really helpful. It changed my mind quite a bit around the
topic of marketing (Ads != Marketing; love the concept of "find the Minimum
Viable Audience").

------
chrisa
“Start small, stay small” is good (but a bit old)

Definitely check out Indie Hackers though! The whole community and podcast is
built around that idea.

~~~
Dockson
I did see "Start small, stay small" being recommended but was put off a bit by
its age. But you would still recommend it today then?

~~~
chrisa
I remember it being really good, though I haven't read it for awhile. I
thought I remembered hearing a podcast where Rob talked about what he would
change if he rewrote it today, but I can't seem to find it (maybe someone with
better google-fu can)

Here is one of his podcast episodes where he talks about it though - so you
can start here:
[https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/episodes/episode-219](https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/episodes/episode-219)

~~~
aluket
If you’re starting a solo saas business (and even if you’re not) I cannot
recommend this podcast series highly enough.

------
imrish
Traction by Gabriel Weinberg.

This book is really amazing and filled with a lot of practical advice. Can't
recommend this enough.

------
sjg007
This is the playbook.

1\. make a landing page. 2\. maybe run google ads. 3 check for traction. 4\.
build it. 5\. profit.

------
o4tuna
Start From Zero by Dane Maxwell. Written by a guy with a proven track record
of creating SaaS business that have stood the test of time. Written by a guy
that's paved the way for many others to create wildly successful SaaS
businesses. It's a concise, easy-to-read, straight-to-the-point "treasure
map"\--the only book you need.

------
Waterluvian
It feels like you're saying, "I want to make some sort of widget... who cares
what... But something that gets me monthly revenue so I can quit my job.

I'm curious how often this succeeds vs. someone who starts with an idea or
passion and the financial success is a side effect.

A less charitable interpretation is that you're asking people how to get rich
quick.

~~~
Dockson
Hmm, then I must have come off wrong. That being my final goal does not mean
that I care less for what I do. I try to find meaning in my every day work by
optimizing for the value I create for the end user and can not be less
motivated than when I only work on something because "I have to" or it "being
the only way".

~~~
Waterluvian
Fair enough. Good luck with your efforts!

------
owens99
The San Francisco Fallacy by Jonathan Siegel

He’s an investor of mine who’s sold multiple SaaS businesses for double digit
millions

~~~
usiegj00
And had many, many more failures--some quicker and some worse than others. ;-P

Thanks for the shout-out Mr Owens!

------
ScottFree
Am I the only one here that finds it odd that not a single response so far has
included a book on the nuts and bolts of how to start and operate a business?
How and where to register the company, how to keep payroll, how to hire/fire,
how to pay taxes, how to generate and read P&L sheets, etc.

Has anybody here read Small Time Operator: How to Start Your Own Business,
Keep Your Books, Pay Your Taxes, and Stay Out of Trouble? It's the only book
I've seen that even claims to address this stuff, but I don't know if it's
worth the time and money to buy and read.

~~~
josephjrobison
I own that book and it’s good to have as a resource. Rather than read

I bought “Finance for Non-Financial Managers” and like that better for the
clarity and humor on the financial side of things.

I would say both are good for an overview - it will make you realize where you
need to learn more and dig in.

For even more I’d recommend “Profit First” and “Simple Numbers...”

~~~
ScottFree
Thank you for the recommendations! I'll check those books out.

------
dzonga
don't think of the business as just a 'SAAS'. think of it, of as a factory, or
mine. you wouldn't be a part time owner or manager of a factory would, you?
hence quit your job, or take a break then dive in. if it becomes successful,
you won't need to go back to your job again. 3 months is good enough time, to
know whether you've a business that can support you or not. of course, you've
to live like a cockroach ie. limited expenses

~~~
heurist
Plenty of people are part time owners and managers of small businesses (and
large businesses). It can be hard to stay focused but I wouldn't recommend
anyone quit their job in this economic climate.

------
dceddia
This is maybe a meta-suggestion, more focused on chunking down problems and
the process of working and shipping, but Amy Hoy’s Just Fucking Ship is full
of useful advice on how to actually get things out the door. (I’ve taken their
30x500 class too, which is also excellent)

[https://stackingthebricks.com/just-fucking-
ship/](https://stackingthebricks.com/just-fucking-ship/)

------
kaickul
This guy seems to know a great deal about starting a new IT business:

[https://www.joisig.com/](https://www.joisig.com/)

Might be worth it checking that out.

EDIT: As a software developer, I also second Basecamp books and their
organizational culture (that is explicitly and publicly divulged on their
materials - some of them are free).

------
orasis
Successful solo digital entrepreneur here. Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco
is the most important book I've ever read.

------
appplemac
I found my friend Jason Long’s book to be very useful:

[https://www.howtokicksaas.com](https://www.howtokicksaas.com)

The SaaS Build section focuses on building with a team, but other sections
don't make assumptions about team vs one-person business setup.

Lots of specifics which certain other books lack. The book is not 100%
finished.

------
moeamaya
(Disclaimer: I live off passive income from software projects and now run a
VC-backed SaaS)

Repeating what others have said, starting a SaaS company broadly speaking does
the opposite of what you hope. It gives you a job that you think about 24hrs a
day, while maybe only actively working 6hrs a day, but realistically much
more. That said I LOVE my job and super grateful I get to work on it everyday!

There are much better ways as a software engineer to take a lower risk
approach to getting to financial freedom.

(These suggestions are not inclusive of coronavirus)

1\. Save cash. Change jobs and increase your baseline income. If possible get
to a FAANG and then also freelance on the side. It's very possible in the Bay
Area after 5 years to save enough to retire without necessarily subscribing to
the FIRE goals.

2\. Work for enterprise companies or build them a micro-saas. There are plenty
of high-value services that companies will pay $XXk monthly for. If your goal
is to make money and maybe not love your job, this is a great place to be.
Orchestrate Segment and a data warehouse, build out a robust Salesforce
pipeline, take a spreadsheet and implement in Retool or Rails. Each of these
examples can easily cost $300k for the right type of company. A micro-saas
example is Sidekiq ([[https://www.indiehackers.com/interview/how-charging-
money-fo...](https://www.indiehackers.com/interview/how-charging-money-for-
pro-features-allowed-me-quit-my-
job-6e71309457\]\(https://www.indiehackers.com/interview/how-charging-money-
for-pro-features-allowed-me-quit-my-job-6e71309457\))). I would have probably
4x the enterprise rate to get to $4M/yr.

3\. Explain something difficult, really well. Related to selling services to
enterprise, you can also consult with companies by owning a very specific
niche that is very high value. Explain security compliance (like SOC 2),
orchestrate edge servers and CDNs, up-level sales teams with technical
knowledge or off-the-shelf tools. A single dev can shepard folks through a
process that costs $XM of dollars or enable a teams that also costs $XM of
dollars.

4\. Rebuild existing tools, much better. This is my personal expertise, but I
believe all existing tools could use major improvements. You can make tools
better in UX, better documentation and tutorials, faster code, easier
onboarding, etc. The major benefit is that you know there are existing
customers paying money and you can then develop much better tools along the
way. In this model I believe free or enterprise is way to go as a single dev.
With free tools, you need strong traffic to monetize with ads or sponsorship.
At the enterprise you sell featured postings or (3) services / consultation.

------
rg2004
Here are the things that lead to my startup's success:

Get a mentor who's already been there

Read Traction by Gino Wickman

Read Traction by Gabriel Weinberg

Identify and engage a big enough channel that will sell your product for you.

Build the product that they want. You build what they want, and they'll
enthusiastically sell it for you.

~~~
Dockson
Thank you! If I may ask, how did you go about finding a mentor to help you on
your journey?

------
cdaven
I read _Go It Alone!_ in 2009, and was blown away. Try it?
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19029346-go-it-
alone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19029346-go-it-alone)

------
jeffreymeade
[http://munchweb.com/the-entrepreneurs-manual-summary-pdf-
cha...](http://munchweb.com/the-entrepreneurs-manual-summary-pdf-chapter-
review-of-richard-whites-book)

As thought provoking today as the date published.

------
jeffreymeade
[http://munchweb.com/the-entrepreneurs-manual-summary-pdf-
cha...](http://munchweb.com/the-entrepreneurs-manual-summary-pdf-chapter-
review-of-richard-whites-book)

------
stevoski
Starting and Sustaining by Garrett Dimon
[https://startingandsustaining.com/](https://startingandsustaining.com/)

This was invaluable to me when getting started with my SaaS.

------
paulgb
Company of One by Paul Jarvis is a nice short read. Not SaaS-specific, though.

~~~
tchock23
A SaaS-specific version of "Company of One" would be awesome. I liked that
book, but it was a bit generic in its recommendations (which PJ acknowledges
as a limitation of the book upfront, so that's not a criticism).

------
djiit
I would recommend Company of One by Paul Jarvis. Very quick to read and filled
will strong advices from a successful solo contractor/counselor

------
grwthckrmstr
Read - The Mom Test

And then build in the real world.

------
Flankk
Getting Real

~~~
quangv
Getting Real by 37 Signals most def!

------
mindcrime
I'd suggest starting with _The Four Steps to the Epiphany_ by Steve Blank.

------
motohagiography
If you are reading a book instead of talking to and connecting with people to
find out what they truly personally need, does it really matter what book you
are reading?

Sounds rough, but I'd recommend weighing any recommendation against this.

~~~
benatkin
So you're recommending that instead of the book, they read these two sentences
from you and start from there?

How about a book that motivates people to do that, like four steps to the
epiphany? It isn't an either-or proposition.

~~~
motohagiography
I hadn't thought of it that way, but yes, I would go so far as to guarantee
that my previous two sentence comment is more valuable than %99 of all
business books.

You can conclude the above after absorbing the opportunity cost and burn of
reading a few thousand pages of anecdotes from newly wealthy people post-hoc
moralizing their luck, or you can start with it as an axiom that provides the
only demonstrable path to success.

However, it's the only advice I have.

------
jimmyvalmer
With a mere 40-hour work week, you want _more_ free time? We're clearly
dealing with a serious customer. If more free time is your goal, starting your
own business is the one thing you should not do.

~~~
eropple
It depends on what your business is. I know multiple folks who are comfortable
with an $80K/year net business who work maybe twenty hours a week.

With managed expectations it's very doable.

------
quaquaqua1
Make something people love and try not to get sued

------
novarro
any recommendation on how to do sales?

~~~
ultrasounder
Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson is a good read. I got this and read
through it. Teaches how to prioritise sales over everything else. If You want
to listen to his talk;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvVSVe57gV0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvVSVe57gV0)

Moral of the story, its way important to start selling even before You write a
line of code!. Sounds totally non-intuitive but without actual sales, how will
Your MVP be funded.

------
andarleen
Personally, I struggle finding decent advice by reading such books. What I do
instead, is I am building my own product. This surfaced quite a few personal
limitations - one being focus. There is no amount of times one can read Deep
Work to cover for that moment when things click in your head. By all means
read books but practical experience is what wins for me.

