Saving a Buffer

Most of us have two options when it comes to building a startup, you either start working on it as a side project and spend hours in the evenings and weekends while working your regular job, or you save up a buffer and go all-in.

There's pros and cons to both, and it's different for everyone depending on your risk taking threshold. I'm probably in the middle.

If you go all-in you'll have a much better chance of success simply because you're spending more time on it. You have more time to learn, pivot, talk to people etc - but it comes at a cost. You have to make it. If you don't you're going to run out of money and that can put added stress on you that could affect the outcome as well.

On the other hand, you could go the easier, less risky route of doing it as a side project in your spare time. This means you don't have the impending dooms-day that your funds run out, so less stress, but it does mean you'll be working a lot and you can't give as much which lessens the chance of you doing well.

I was able to do both luckily, which I'd also suggest for others if it's a possibility.

I was keen to join the startup world as a solo founder, and the job I was working at previously wasn't going to be for the long-term so I knew that I'd be without a job in the next year or so. This was good in a way, because it gave me the push to start learning to code in the evenings. At the same time, I was trying to save as much as possible.

The goal was to learn enough so I could build things without having to pay someone, then use my saved buffer to extend my runway after my job ended if I had managed to build something.

My advice would be to save a buffer, and at the same time get started as a side-project while at another job (even if it's just learning, not doing).