I'm the founder of ServerlessOps which I started when I asked, what would I do if the server went away? My job is to understand what the role of the operations person will be in the future.
I quit my full-time job to start ServerlessOps with only a high level question in mind (What do I do as an Ops person if servers go away?) and a handful of business ideas. Those business ideas were categorized into short term ideas that I could use to generate revenue as I explored long term ideas.
I was able to do this because:
I've saved a lot over the years and can bootstrap myself.
I have a supportive partner so if I reach the end of my runway I still have a place to live.
I have a supportive network, particularly around tech and startups
This isn't the case for most people but if it is then I say go for it.
Why? Because getting a company off the ground is a full-time job. There is a lot of work involved and lots of things you've never done before. (I've spent this week sourcing companies, packaging and pricing, finding out that I'm over thinking packaging and pricing, and crafting cold emails to leads.) When I was working full-time I had this idea I'd work nights and weekends, and if you are, then that's great but I couldn't do it. I was too burned out each day and while I had spurts of energy periodically, I couldn't sustain them and get real work done.
Additionally, let me also add there were legal reasons for me to decide leave my current employer. These mostly involved involved ownership of work. Even though I had gotten a second laptop, I wanted to make sure my previous employer couldn't lay claim to any of my work. You have an MVP.... I would sort the ownership of that out immediately and get it in writing from your current employer that you own it in full.
If you have the energy to work full-time and do a side project what I would have done as much work that doesn't involve producing IP as possible. I would have worked on defining the problem description, product offering, and initial business plan. Next, buy a domain (that you'll throw away) and put together a nice website that frames the problem, hints at a solution, and has a mailing list signup form. Post blog posts on the problem you're trying to define. Promote the heck out of that site and those blog posts. Then see if you get signups. You might even put up questionnaire forms for people to answer so you can validate ideas you have. This is all relatively "easy" work. If you get signups and questionnaire responses, then maybe you're on to something. Additionally, I'd be having coffee, lunch, or drinks with as many people as I can who would be helpful after I went full-time on my own thing. I was having those meetings on average once a week.
However, you built your MVP first and NOW you're trying to validate if you built the right thing. You can still use some of the tactics I described. At the least, clear the ownership of your MVP before you do another thing.
I'm the founder of ServerlessOps which I started when I asked, what would I do if the server went away? My job is to understand what the role of the operations person will be in the future.
I quit my full-time job to start ServerlessOps with only a high level question in mind (What do I do as an Ops person if servers go away?) and a handful of business ideas. Those business ideas were categorized into short term ideas that I could use to generate revenue as I explored long term ideas.
I was able to do this because:
This isn't the case for most people but if it is then I say go for it.
Why? Because getting a company off the ground is a full-time job. There is a lot of work involved and lots of things you've never done before. (I've spent this week sourcing companies, packaging and pricing, finding out that I'm over thinking packaging and pricing, and crafting cold emails to leads.) When I was working full-time I had this idea I'd work nights and weekends, and if you are, then that's great but I couldn't do it. I was too burned out each day and while I had spurts of energy periodically, I couldn't sustain them and get real work done.
Additionally, let me also add there were legal reasons for me to decide leave my current employer. These mostly involved involved ownership of work. Even though I had gotten a second laptop, I wanted to make sure my previous employer couldn't lay claim to any of my work. You have an MVP.... I would sort the ownership of that out immediately and get it in writing from your current employer that you own it in full.
If you have the energy to work full-time and do a side project what I would have done as much work that doesn't involve producing IP as possible. I would have worked on defining the problem description, product offering, and initial business plan. Next, buy a domain (that you'll throw away) and put together a nice website that frames the problem, hints at a solution, and has a mailing list signup form. Post blog posts on the problem you're trying to define. Promote the heck out of that site and those blog posts. Then see if you get signups. You might even put up questionnaire forms for people to answer so you can validate ideas you have. This is all relatively "easy" work. If you get signups and questionnaire responses, then maybe you're on to something. Additionally, I'd be having coffee, lunch, or drinks with as many people as I can who would be helpful after I went full-time on my own thing. I was having those meetings on average once a week.
However, you built your MVP first and NOW you're trying to validate if you built the right thing. You can still use some of the tactics I described. At the least, clear the ownership of your MVP before you do another thing.
Thanks for giving me a lesson of what you've learned already.
No problem. I’m just starting out and not much ahead of you. I just lean on the experiences of other people in my network a bit.