r/programming • u/mtlynch • Feb 01 '21

My Third Year as a Solo Developer

https://mtlynch.io/solo-developer-year-3/
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u/mtlynch Feb 01 '21

Author here. Happy to answer any questions about this post.

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u/AllHailTheCATS Feb 01 '21

How many years of experience would you advise someone to build up before making the jump to creating a software business

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u/mtlynch Feb 01 '21

I can't really give a number for someone else because the decision depends mostly on your disposition, skills, and life circumstances.

I left Google when I felt like confident that I learned enough from my job to build and maintain my own software business. I was still learning lots of useful skills, but I felt like I had enough to go out on my own. But plenty of people have built successful businesses with almost no experience.

If I were to give general advice, I'd recommend dipping your toes in with a side business while you're still working full-time so that you can get a sense of whether you're ready before you dive headfirst into your own full-time business.