
I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned - wasigh
http://wasigh.com/scariest-thing-resigned/
======
edw519
The good news: If you think you've done the right thing, then you have.
Congratulations!

The other news:

    
    
      - Your runway is probably 50% of what you think it is.
      - Your task is probably 200% of what you think it is.
      - It will take 200% of what you expect to get your first customer.
      - Your wife will get scared before you do.
      - Some customers will take forever to pay.
      - You'll probably have to backtrack on your design / architecture.
      - When you need to sell, you'll want to code.
      - When you need to code, you'll want to sell.
      - Your MVP will be missing something critical.
      - At some point, you'll question your decision.
      - At some point, someone will discourage you.
      - You may need to pivot your entire business.
      - In a year, you won't be who you are now.
    

I don't mean to discourage you. I just want you to bottle that enthusiasm for
later use. You'll probably need it.

Best wishes!

[EDIT: Changed "less than good news" to "other news". Thanks grannyg00se and
untog for pointing out my "less than best choice of words". wasigh, it's all
good news.]

~~~
robomartin
And, when you finally succeed, some asshole will tell you that you didn't
actually build your business. That your success isn't due to having worked
hard (because there are tons of people that work hard) or because you are
smart (because lots of people are smart). No, you had nothing to do with
building a successful business despite your sacrifices, risk, uncertainty,
sleepless nights, good and bad decisions, family sacrifices, etc., etc. You
don't matter.

~~~
petercooper
Who would _actually_ say that? Sounds like you've had some experience of this.

A lot of conservatives misinterpreted something Obama said as meaning much of
what you've said, even though if one reads the entire paragraph, the "that" in
his sentence was infrastructure such as the Internet, roads and bridges.

~~~
anamax
Not so fast.

No one questions that other people built roads etc. (Govt didn't provide the
resources - it only collected them.)

The only way that Obama's comment is not a non sequitur is if he meant more
than that, that people who "built" were treated differently than the people
who didn't wrt those resources.

I get that you think that Obama should be given the benefit of the doubt, but
don't other people get that same benefit?

For example, one of the most common sentiments expressed to people trying to
concieve is "you've got to keep a positive mental outlook", the implication
being that a negative mental outlook reduces the odds of conception. I have no
idea whether or not mental outlook has that effect but we're damning a US
senate candidate who said that it did.

~~~
ktizo
_I have no idea whether or not mental outlook has that effect but we're
damning a US senate candidate who said that it did._

I don't think that was quite what he said, if you are referring to Tod Akin.

~~~
anamax
>> I have no idea whether or not mental outlook has that effect but we're
damning a US senate candidate who said that it did.

> I don't think that was quite what he said, if you are referring to Tod Akin.

Actually, it was. He said that women who were raped were less likely to
concieve. He didn't specify the mechanism, but mental state is the only
plausible candidate.

Like I said, a huge fraction of the population believes that mental state
affects conception. Moreover, I'll bet that I can find at least one law
protecting women that was enacted based, at least partly, on that theory.

Or, do you want to argue that how he said it matters?

Or, do you want to argue that the mental distress associated with rape has
different effects than other mental distress?

It was a monumentally stupid thing to say, but not because of the scientific
truth or lack thereof.

And, if a Democrat had said it, it wouldn't have been an issue and you'd have
defended said Democrat. See, for example, the near-daily gaffes of VP Biden.
Or, Obama's "you didn't build that".

~~~
ktizo
Wow. You are one insane waste of skin.

By the way, I am neither republican, or democrat, or american for that matter.
I just am fascinated by american politics, in much the same way that some
people are fascinated by particularly gruesome car crashes.

~~~
anamax
> Wow. You are one insane waste of skin.

I note that you didn't point out any errors that I made.

FWIW, I'm pro-abortion.

~~~
ktizo
Well you appear to be trying to argue, that a speech that discusses the idea
that there is shared responsibility for wealth creation between business
owners and the state, is an equivalent political gaffe to someone claiming
that it is extremely rare for rape victims to get pregnant so therefore they
don't really need abortions.

[edit] Oh, and on a thread about someone leaving their job to start a
business.

So no. I didn't point out any errors that you made. I don't really need to.

------
dan1234
Site's down atm but here's the Google Cache
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwasigh.com%2Fscariest-
thing-resigned%2F)

------
city41
I've been attracted to companies that appear to have a "hacker culture" too.
It seems I always end up at companies that _used to_ have a hacker culture.
Companies grow, responsibilities and clients get bigger, more checks and
balances start emerging and that hacker mentality is usually the first
casualty.

I'm curious how much of a hacker culture is still left at places like github,
Fog Creek, etc.

I'm starting to think the most surefire way to submerge yourself in a hacker
culture is to join or start a startup.

------
consultutah
Congratulations and good luck - now get off HN and get to work! ;-)

The biggest difference between doers and dreamers is simply that: The doers do
and the dreamers dream. You've taken a bigger step than 99% of people are
willing to take for themselves, so you are already in the doer group. Just
keep it up and you'll be successful.

------
edwinnathaniel
I often read or heard things like: "I want to work for Company X because
they're so cool!" because a few written articles about the office settings and
the "culture".

For some, that may work, for others, be careful of what you wish for. This is
not a warning to stay away from such companies but when the companies are
dominated by young energetic single employees and you're a father of 1 year
old child (and maybe another one coming), there lies a cultural barrier
between you and the rest of the company (unless you're going there as a Dev
Manager).

As people get older, they no longer too crazy about the tech side as they used
to be so sometimes conversation becomes dull for both side.

------
meritt
Text-only version of article:

[https://raw.github.com/gist/3612652/132c74fbbfc50212f4f93d8e...](https://raw.github.com/gist/3612652/132c74fbbfc50212f4f93d8e5113a3b7be8b6948/gistfile1.txt)

~~~
wasigh
tnx, my VPS is kind of crashing ...

------
spicyj
> Instead of grieving about the fact that I won’t be able to work at one of
> these companies, I decided to try and build my own.

If you want to do your own thing that's great, but if you really want to work
at one of those companies, let them tell you whether you're good enough --
there's no reason to make the decision for them.

~~~
theotherone
Github has remote employees.

~~~
jeremyjh
Heroku is hiring in Europe.

------
mrchess
I did the same thing. Quit my cushy salaried corporate job for something
bigger. While I don't regret it, I do wish I wasn't so rash with my decision.
The biggest I didn't realize until it actually happened was that it really
_hurts_ to consistently lose money when you had been used to getting a sizable
paycheck.

This hurt made me frustrated when my projects didn't succeed or generate
revenue -- I'd ask myself why I sacrificed $X dollars for failure. I could
argue I was gaining knowledge, but it sucks to have a negative income. Every
day I felt strained to figure out how to make money again, and this stress
didn't give me the relaxed atmosphere I thought I would have.

In retrospect I won't quit my full-time job again until I have something that
already generates revenue, or a much larger nest egg.

------
wensheng
One of the main things that prevents me from doing the same is health
insurance. Will I be paying $2000 per month instead of $200 that I'm paying
now for a good coverage.

What are my options? Can anyone shine some lights on this issue?

(I know it's a US thing, as those in EU have free health plan and all that.)

~~~
callmevlad
I'm in the same boat as the OP, and was able to find health insurance for
about $500/month for a family of 4. The main catch is that it's a very high
deductible, so we'd have to spend at least $5000 per year out of our own
pocket (or HSA) for the insurance part to kick in. If I were to keep my old
employer's coverage through COBRA, it would be closer to the $2000/month
number. But if you're saving $1500 per month in premiums, and are reasonably
healthy, having a high deductible "catastrophic" plan with some backup money
in an HSA makes a lot of sense.

~~~
wensheng
Thanks for the info. It does seem to make more sense to opt for a high
deductible plan.

------
chlee
Hey, I was in a similar boat. I also resigned to start my own thing about a
year ago.

I had a well paying job in one of the top tech companies. However, I felt
unsatisfied with my job responsibilities and disconnected between what I enjoy
doing and I was actually doing.

Therefore I took a year off (this month marks about 1 year and 2 months off)
to work on my own thing/project. With that said, I hope to share some of my
experiences with you.

1) Take regular breaks and avoid burnout

I was working on my project 24/7, from the moment I woke up to the moment I
fall asleep ... 7 days a week. In hindsight, that was a recipe for burning
out. I was mentally fatigued after 6-8 months into this routine.

Looking back, I should have taken regular breaks from work and not think about
the project at all. Maintain an active social life, go on trips, spend time
with friends, or as simple as forcing myself to take a day off every week
would have done wonders for my own mental health.

2) Maintain your physical health

Physically and health wise, I was in a fantastic shape before I left my job
and started on my own venture.

However, my health quickly deteriorated because I neglected my physical well
being. For example, I exercised less and eventually none at all. I ate less
than I should (I would go as far as eating 1 meal per day). My sleeping
schedule quickly fell out of whack.

Take good precautions and maintain a good physical and mental health. This
will go a long way in preventing you from falling into a negative feedback
loop and damaging your well being.

3) If you build it, they will not come (think about marketing)

I gave vague thoughts to marketing while working on my project. I demoed my
product to my close friends and family. They loved it, so i thought, if I
build a great product, users will automagically show up. Boy, I was wrong.

It is good to develop a plan on how to reach your protential users and/or
customers. Think about SEO. Think about finding a niche or community of
[potentially enthusiastic] users to whom you can demo your product. Think
about finding bloggers who can help you spread the word.

4) Everything will take twice as long to implement

Think a feature will take a week to implement? It will probably take two weeks
if not more. I saw the iceberg effect firsthand while developing my own
product. So be careful, be cautious, and plan accordingly.

5) Just ship it. D@mn it.

You will always notice issues, flaws, bugs, and imperfections within your
product. As creators/founders/makers, we all do. However, we can spend
eternity tinkering and fixing those issues, but our product will never ship.

Therefore, you should give yourself a rough deadline or an idea as to when
you'll ship, no matter how imperfect your product is.

6) You'll need to hustle after you ship

Shipping is only half the battle. It is unlikely that tens of thousands will
show up on your front step after you ship.

Therefore you'll need to go out and hustle. You'll need to think about things
like marketing, customer acquisition, customer, retention, customer service,
and so forth.

~~~
bsaunder
In hind sight was it a good decision? Would you do it again? How are things
going one year in?

------
guiomie
"To be successful I have to get out of my comfort zone." ...

This is my current mentality (I fear being in my confort zone), glad you share
it... Anyone has an opinion on this type of behavior? Is this a good or bad
habit on the long term?

~~~
kamaal
No,

Taking risks increases your chances of being successful. Not the only way of
being successful.

You will be surprised how many people are rich working in big corporates by
just saving and investing well.

------
notlisted
Wasigh, are you Dutch? If so, please ignore all the silly American right-
wingers below (stelletje suffe sound bite sukkels).

A "smarter" way to resign voluntarily, in Holland, is to gather proof with
regards to your mental state/wellbeing, e.g. if there's a track record of you
being "overspannen" (tr: burnt out) you would, with the right evidence, still
be able to apply of unemployment benefits. Instead of quitting, call in sick,
make an appointment with your Dr. and if he/she signs the appropriate
paperwork, you can dissolve your contract "amicably" (ontbinding met
wederzijds goedkeuren) which, in some cases, would allow you to retain the
right to apply for WW (unemployment benefits).

Just in case you are in the US: depending on the state you live in, one may
still qualify for unemployment benefits even if you quit yourself for "good
cause" (it's actually somewhat similar to the Dutch situation, ie you need
proof of undue stress, demands by your boss exceeding your contract, changes
in job description/responsibilities, health reasons, family reasons, unsafe
working environment, etc. etc.). Details vary by state, see
[http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unemploymentoff...](http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unemploymentoff.htm)

Note: I've been self-employed for 10+ years now. Love it now, but many of the
points outlined elsewhere are extremely valid... Don't think lightly about
this decision. It's a big change, and despite the admiration for the
entrepreneurial spirit in the USA, the deck is really stacked against you
(think: healthcare, taxes, etc. etc.)

------
veesahni
I quit my job 9 months ago with similar goals - I want to build products that
people love. I want to build a company that I can be proud of. I went through
a short period of excitement to a period of shock. I've since hit my groove
and am now growing my first product. It's been quite the roller coaster.

Stay focussed. Give yourself small goals and take it one day at a time. You'll
come out of this a changed man. Good luck!

------
anovikov
I know it feels scary, i resigned from a management position in a company i
spent my entire career to that date (had some side projects, sometimes
successful, but that job was still making most of my living). That was in
2007. Despite being emotional, it proved to be very easy to reinvent myself,
and while it never became a real startup, i am much more happy now than then.
So good luck, it never harms to change things and it's much easier than it
looks.

Maybe, this fact is what makes founding startups, and (as a smaller form of
the same), freelancing more profitable than jobs: most people think it is much
harder/scarier than it really is, so supply/demand shifts. Everyone wants a
job, and there are only so many jobs around, so you have to compete in price.
Fewer people want to freelance, and everyone wants to get a specific job done
without long term commitments, so it's much easier to breathe in freelance
field. When you create startup i.e. innovate, you are in the blue water.

------
DaveChild
I'm in almost exactly the same situation. Scarily similar. Also 32. Wife is
pregnant with our first baby, due February. And I've spent the last few years
in the same company, but have reached the point where I want to achieve things
that I can't do where I am. So, I handed in my notice a few weeks ago, and my
last day is friday.

On monday, I start down a new road :)

------
tluyben2
Gefeliciteerd!

There are more than enough nice companies in the Netherlands to go for. I like
the same as you; small teams, hacker culture, getting things done. I found
that in my companies over the years, but there are plenty of those around
depending on what you want to do. Even in slightly bigger teams, it can be
hacker culture; q42 (den haag) comes to mind.

Just take some time to talk to people and search around, apply for some stuff!
Succes!

Edit: you can of course just start something for yourself; it is very common
in NL (ZZP) and it works really well. On your own it's not hard to find gigs,
but you have to like that kind of thing. More interesting is to do this with a
few like minded folks, work on freelance jobs at companies for a few days a
week and in the rest of the time make a niche offering. For instance Jurg van
Vliet (9apps) would be someone who did something like that well in the cloud
hosting niche.

~~~
wasigh
dank je!

The same suggestion was made to me on twitter. I will surely have a look!

------
ideamonk
Good luck! Doing contract work as a web/app developer brings in good money
(depending on what your expenses are), and also leaves free time (depending on
what you charge hourly).

I'm trying the same since July. One of the important lessons I learnt on the
way - be super-serious about organising your time. July & half of August flew
away in a jiffy as I was trying to do/learn too many (mostly new) things at
the same time. I'm trying to form habits around the way I spend time, not
letting new ideas distract me on a daily basis.

You've been working in a jungle of roles for 8 years, bet that bit wont be
hard. Good luck again :)

------
anil_mamede
I'm also in the process of quitting my job. What I wanted is product
development so I decided to focus more on enterpreneurship instead of IT
consultancy and data maintainance. So far I learned a lot. More in months than
years of IT consultancy. Enterpreneurship is exciting but it is very hard. Its
like a rollercoaster. Right now I'm working on quopox.com. It has been a very
rewarding experience. I'm also 32 but I don't have much financial burden so
it's now or never. Good luck on your endeavor. I wish you all the best!

------
btilly
Which company did you work for?

The first company that comes to mind in the Netherlands for me is Booking.com.
If you're looking for contract work to get started, could be worth talking to
them?

I would also strongly suggest contacting
<http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=jacquesm>. He lives in the Netherlands,
has started multiple startups, and is a generally wonderful person. If you can
prove yourself to him, his network could be an incredibly valuable resource
for you.

~~~
wasigh
I worked for Colours. A fullservice Internet Agency in Den Bosch. They have a
fairly strict "no re-hiring policy". They don't want to encourage people to
quit by hiring them back as contractor immediately. Which I can understand.

I've had contact with Jacques before. I will surely contact him again. Tnx

------
digitalengineer
Congrads, you've made it to HN! Now for Pete's sake add some contact info and
details on your blog! I'm from the Netherlands like you, but you're contact
page is almost empty. Put your company's name, address, experiences, linkedin,
projects and what not on there. You need to start building trust with regards
to future clients and people that might want to hire you to help them finish
their projects.

~~~
wasigh
Thx, I will add the details. In the mean time. If you need to contact me.
Check out: www.wasigh.nl!

~~~
digitalengineer
Much better! If you make the links in the About page clickable, I think people
would really like that ;-)

------
vignesh_vs_in
It will be a exciting and scary day when you are free to do anything.

I will be at his position soon, although i started sharpening my skills a year
back and trying out some part-time freelancing right now. I am actually
thrilled that i will be able decide what to do 24/7.

For me freedom is the ability to win/fail, without the need to explain anybody
once u do so.

All i can say is best of luck and keep us updated on your journey.

------
diego
If you really mean that resigning is the scariest thing you could imagine,
then you're in for some surprises. I assume it's just hyperbole.

------
kureikain
Hi, also You can try to do some small code component and sell in
<http://codecanyon.com> It's a great way to earn extra money. And once it's
there, you keep getting money without worry about it.

You have a great family, a great wife. Let chase your dream ;). Try your best
and wish you luck.

------
zackyap
Congratulations and good luck!! There's nothing better than to be working on
something you can call your own, and to be building a company of your dreams.

It will be a tough journey ahead, but the courage to resign is a first step.
There's a tonne of work that needs to be done so remember to stay FOCUSED. :)

------
michaelkscott
Well, that page certainly resigned on me. Edit: here's the cache:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwasigh.com%2Fscariest-
thing-resigned%2F)

------
ryanjodonnell
I just came off my 18 month stint of doing something similar and it was the
greatest 18 months of my life :) Good luck! You'll learn more about yourself
during this next phase of your life than any other period thus far.

------
jnar
FYI: C9.io, they have an office there. Just in case. Just happened to me the
same, best of luck.

------
Naushad
Wish you the best, im young, single, not a developer and ive quit. Doing the
same :)

------
alpb
Whoops it seems like site is down just at the time it is #1 on HN.

~~~
breckenedge
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://wasigh.com/scariest-
thing-resigned/)

------
tzaman
Don't be scared, you'll probably end up working more :)

------
sidcool
I think we crashed the site. It's not opening.

------
wilzy
Very exciting and scary stuff - good luck! :)

------
micheljansen
Good luck, fellow Tweaker and Dutch person :)

------
finkin1
Good for you. Good luck. It's a hard road.

------
Lucadg
good luck mate. I did the same 11 years ago and never looked back.

------
antonioevans
Happy Independence Day!

------
drivingsouth
that's the easy part

------
markmm
I think you have acted foolishly and based on your decision you might not be
cut out to run a company. The best strategy would have been to develop a
business with your free time after work/weekends until you make enough to
support you and your family.

~~~
jeremyjh
When you have children you have very little free time. Maybe 10-15 hours a
week if you are really dedicated.

