My family has been supportive over the past 14 months while I mapped this thing out, learned to program, design it, etc.
It's just at a point now where I have to chose leaving my day job to make the site my day job and its too risky without at least throwing the idea out there first to see if there's any response.
> its too risky without at least throwing the idea out there first to see if there's any response.
Even after throwing the idea out there and getting HN's feedback, it is still too risky.
It is difficult to predict the success of any venture. (If it were easy, every venture would've been successfull!) As you would already know, many ventures that looked promising in the beginning don't give as much returns as expected, while many ideas which were initially dismissed by experts go onto to become successful businesses.
And moreover, startups often "pivot", sometimes completely throwing away their original idea, while at other times making significant changes to it.
In short, it is too early to say how successful you could be with your business.
I don't know about your personal situation, but if my family were dependent upon me, I would not quit my day job for a website unless the odds of success were very, very, high, and then too, if I did have a "safety net" to fall back on.
Could you try to keep going in part time mode? Could you wait to quit your job until your website shows clear signs of gaining traction? Only you can really judge your situation and take a call.
Launching may be the only way for real data but how does one find out if an idea is even worth putting the time into? Other people talk about all this testing they do and pre-signups... Are they just aquiring these people through search results/real world marketing/agencies?
My family has been supportive over the past 14 months while I mapped this thing out, learned to program, design it, etc.
It's just at a point now where I have to chose leaving my day job to make the site my day job and its too risky without at least throwing the idea out there first to see if there's any response.
Thanks!