For: People with a steady job and an idea they can't stop thinking about

Should I start a company or stay employed?

Where the line actually sits

Years

How long the uncertainty lasts

Years without a clear answer, a steady paycheck or a boss to ask.

One problem

The pull that keeps founders going

A specific problem you can't stop thinking about, not just a wish to be your own boss.

Everything

What you own as a founder

Hiring, firing, cash, customers, and the mistakes nobody else will catch.

1 year

How long you should be able to go without income

Or close to it. Know how many months you can go without a salary before you leave.

What changed in the last year

• You don't have to jump all at once. Building on the side, selling to one customer or joining an early-stage company all let you test it with less risk.

What most founders get wrong

• “Staying employed means I settled.”

  Treating employment as failure is a common mistake. Great early employees build companies too.

• “I'll quit, then find customers.”

  Quitting before testing the idea with real customers, and underestimating how long the money needs to last, are the two mistakes that end the most attempts.

When I'd tell you the opposite

• If you can test the idea on nights and weekends with paying customers first, you don't have to decide all at once.

Related questions

Can I test it before quitting?

Yes. Build something on the side, sell to one customer, or save a runway first. A single paying customer teaches you more than a year of planning.

Read the full article: Should You Be a Founder or an Employee?