Moonlighter's Dilemma: Guide to Starting a Startup PartTime

It takes an extraordinary amount of drive to keep trying in the situation described, but where does that drive come from?

Do you have a vision of something that "needs" to be done and you just have to find out how to do it? ... Or are you driven by a need to do something, anything, but you still don't know what?

At some point these combined forces overwhelm you, you must risk everything and there will be no going back. Nor does success, however you measure it, bring relief because the goal posts keep moving.

Everything can be seen as an opportunity rather than a weakness. Like the people at 37 signals say: "Embrace your constraints Let limitations guide you to creative solutions

There's never enough to go around. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough people.

That's a good thing...."

And also the gapping void: 7. Keep your day job.

I�m not just saying that for the usual reason i.e. because I think your idea will fail. I�m saying it because to suddenly quit one�s job in a big ol' creative drama-queen moment is always, always, always in direct conflict with what I call "The Sex & Cash Theory".

THE SEX & CASH THEORY: "The creative person basically has two kinds of jobs: One is the sexy, creative kind. Second is the kind that pays the bills. Sometimes the task in hand covers both bases, but not often. This tense duality will always play center stage. It will never be transcended." http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000889.html

These suggestions resemble a lot the advice given to new assistant professors on how to find time for research among all the teaching, committees, etc. Strange to find it here... But #4 is very relevant (no offense YC News!).

A full-time startup project might mean 12+ hours a day. In that scenario it doesn't really hurt to spend the first few hours "getting in the zone" or "wasting time". If you only have a 3 hour slot then a couple non-productive hours can be crippling.

My situation exactly. Thanks for the advice.

If you're an average American watching 4 hours of TV a day just swap that time for your startup and you'll be halfway there. After a month of part time work you'll be able to tell if you should go full time or not.

I'd rather be fully immersed in whatever I'm working and make great rice and beans.