Going solo

I have been jobbing since I left university in 2007, and contracting mostly for the last ten years. I have had a few jobs I’d rather forget but on the whole it’s been fun and I’ve made friends along the way and learnt a few things.

I have always wanted to start a business since my first entrepreneurial venture, a paper round when I was 13, it was successful if I can remember, I exited for multiple pounds when we moved house.

This has been in the planning for a while and now seems like as good a time as any to make a start at something, I did not renew my last contract which is the first time I’ve ever done that but the thought of doing my own thing was too enticing, not that the contract was particularly exciting.

I am hoping I can at the very least start something of my own, what that looks like I am not entirely sure but I know I want to work for myself.

This is something I have thought of doing since I can remember, I would set a date I wanted to be there by, blowing right through it and moving it further into the future.

What’s the big issue with a job? For me lots of things really, I find its boring, doing samey or similar development work you start to just turn up, I feel I am not building anything for self except a CV, it’s unforfiling building nameless things for nameless people, I still have the motivation to learn new stuff and tinker around but recently my interests and learnings have turned to business, entrepreneurship and all that entails like marketing, sales, copyrighting etc.

I would like to do more than churning the same old code for some big corp, I’d like to do it for myself, build something I am interested in and passionate about and hopefully help people along the way.

Ideally I come up with some great idea that takes 3 days to build, I release it to world wide acclaim and adulation and promptly make millions, but I am realistic and I am going to try a few things without hopefully spreading myself too thin and in the hope that something gets some traction.

My plan is to make something, a saas, an app, a digital product, wherever I think I can add something. Probably a slightly different take on something existing that I know has a market. I’m also going to try and validate some ideas of my own, I’m figuring out the best way to do that without spending money on ads, or it taking to long. Along side this I plan to start a business offering mostly web development for small business and hopefully some freelance work that still allows me time to make stuff.

Yip this even sounds vague to me, but everyday I sit down I get a little closer to where I am going.

With this new found freedom I’ve also taken the chance to get myself healthier and fitter by setting time aside everyday to exercise, a walk, run or bike to make sure I go outdoors and don’t spend all day sitting. I am also reading more than I have done in along time, every day, motivated by the Apple Books app reading streak (22 days streak), and also trying to write everyday wether its just a few words or something longer I am trying to get that muscle going.

“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.” George Orwell

I am planning on blogging this journey so follow along if your interested.