The first month
I have owned my own company for nearly a month, and it's incredible how quickly my perspective has changed. I decided to go cold turkey. Having my own company has always been a dream of mine, and when somebody recently pointed out that I confused fun for motivation, it was a profound realization. I hadn't noticed that the fun had slowly disappeared over time. So, it was time to start chasing the dream that I had put off for so long.
But as I delved deeper into entrepreneurship, I discovered that it's not just about having fun but about the challenge, the learning, and the growth that comes with it. So, when I realized that I no longer felt that sense of challenge and growth in my work, I had to choose between finding another company or starting my own. Since I had promised myself that the then-current employer would be my last, I only had one option.
Granted, it was a giant leap of faith.
So, what has changed in the last month?
First, you realize you need paying customers to earn income. Of course, you know this beforehand, but knowing and understanding are different.
Another significant change in my approach has been the strict management of my time. While I've always been good at estimating and delivering on time, the shift to entrepreneurship has made me realize that my planning needs to be even more precise. The pressure to bring my product to market on time is a constant motivator, pushing me to find a new balance and improve my time management skills.
Third, I was no longer willing to experiment. One of the first original products was to be developed almost entirely in JavaScript and have as few external services as possible to reduce costs. But when I looked at the time needed to create the account management module correctly and securely, I quickly swapped it out with a paid service. This decision was not taken lightly. I had to weigh the cost of the service against the time and effort it would take to develop the module myself. In the end, I realized that I would rather pay 500 euros monthly than spend 40 hours on it, as it allowed me to focus on other aspects of the business.
Finally, and most importantly, I'm having fun. Sure, it comes with a fair amount of stress, but it's challenging. I'm learning, and I once again see growth.