8 Things I Wish I Knew When Starting My First Business
In this candid personal reflection (2009), @AndrewWarner steps back to assess the lifestyle, mental health, and career tradeoffs of independent software craftsmanship.
Core Principles for Independent Builders:
Leaving high-paying Big Tech roles offers complete creative sovereignty, but demands high psychological resilience against loneliness and uncertainty.
Setting strict boundary lines between personal life and asynchronous bug reports is crucial for sustaining solo developer momentum.
Treating side projects and indie businesses as an ongoing marathon rather than a sprint creates resilience through dry spells.
Community Debate Themes:
Community members debated work-life balance, health insurance and retirement planning for solopreneurs, and finding meaning outside of traditional corporate ladders.
CATEGORY Founder Lessons →
HISTORICAL ERA Web 2.0 Genesis (2007–2013)
COMMUNITY SCORE ★ 6 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 1 comments
I found his advice about "hiring a law firm" interesting (see also http://www.quicksprout.com/2009/05/05/8-things-i-wish-i-knew-when-starting-my-first-business/#comment-47424 ), but I could not help wondering if it was a bit overkill, especially since I have seen a lot of advice here that suggests that most small companies do not need legal representation, especially when they are just starting out. Is legal counsel an unnecessary expense for a new company, or a necessity?