Ask HN: Self employed who have transitioned to a job: Is it worth it?

[caniwork]

I am considering applying for a job and seeing what it's like working in a team.

For now, for work I spend a couple of hours a week maintaining a website.

Most of my time is spent travelling (9 months of the past year) and really enjoy hiking/skiing/mountain biking/surfing with my friends.

The idea of working in a team, learning from other people, having some consistency all motivate me.

However, when I imagine myself losing all my free time, having to wake up at 8 or 9am, spend all day behind a computer, lose autonomy over what I do, I start to think twice.

Am I missing out on a lot by working alone and not in a team?

For those that have never had a job and then switched to employment how did you find it?

A few other facts about me:

* I've never had a job, I've always worked for myself.

* 21 years old

* Withdrew from top university in my country after 6 months (skipped classes I was enrolled in and chose to spend my time at the lectures that interested me instead).

I also am very much a generalist with no specialist skills. What employers would this be valuable for?

Any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated. I'm really unsure what to do. =)

[sethrin]

It's difficult for me to even respond to this politely, but I'll give it a shot.

> For now, for work I spend a couple of hours a week maintaining a website.

So you have some sort of life where you have no responsibility and don't work. I can see how that might be difficult for you.

"Go find something you love and do it," is the typical life advice. I don't get the feeling that you're doing that. I don't get the feeling an office will change that.

[caniwork → sethrin]

> So you have some sort of life where you have no responsibility and don't work.

Not exactly. I have a responsibility to serve my customers that pay to use the service and still work, just not as much as others. I have spent a lot of time getting the business to the point where it is now.

> "Go find something you love and do it" - I don't get the feeling that you're doing that

It actually is something I am very passionate about but it's solved the problem I set out to solve. There isn't much more room to develop myself with it. I'm thinking (hoping?) that employment may broaden my perspectives.

[sethrin → sethrin]

Also:

> Withdrew from top university in my country after 6 months

combined with

> I also am very much a generalist with no specialist skills. What employers would this be valuable for?

None. Not phrased like that anyway.

[caniwork → sethrin]

Thanks for your insight. Have you come across any scenarios where someone without specialist skills has been able to thrive?

[sethrin → caniwork]

You've described "maintaining a website" and dropping out of university, and those virtues have enabled you to travel the world. That suggests that this ability is independent of your skills. I honestly feel like I'm being trolled here.

[caniwork → sethrin]

Sorry should have clarified! - scenarios where someone without specialist skills has been able to thrive under employment?

[lhuser123]

I think you know the answer. Just look again at your sentence that starts with : However ...