Ask HN: My Job or my startup?

[thevoid1900]

I have been working on a start-up the last 10 months or so with a team of two other founders. We have done problem interviews with around 50 target market users, done price anchoring, and have developed part of our MVP. We are currently pursuing getting target users into the app and using it on a daily basis while finishing the MVP, one of the features we are still working on was the #1 problem in the interviews. At what point does it make sense to quit my full time job and focus on building stronger user relationships and finishing development on the app with the ultimate goal of converting the beta users to paying users?

[JSeymourATL]

A safe play, quit when the company is actually cash-flowing and can replace your current salary/benefits, etc. Founders running out of personal cash is an all too common pitfall.

[ukcto → JSeymourATL]

I agree with this comment.

Very often founders underestimate how much hard work, resources, and calendar time are required to make their company successful. They also overestimate the absolute value of the return. Typically, building a revenue stream is a slow organic process that takes quite a while until it can support one, not to mention several, co-founders.

If you have a cash buffer, go ahead and quit your job. But even then, don't do it without a plan of how much time (or how much of that buffer) you're ready to spend on your startup. Be specific.

Unless you can already smell money, accept that you will make 0 for months to years. And then you'll be making chump change for more months to years. Can you afford this?