[msencenb]

First of all, talk to a lawyer if you have legal concerns. HN is not the right place to take advice about legal issues.

Second, I would explore the idea of working part-time. Last April I switched jobs and now work part-time at one company while having two days a week to work on my own software. I make enough money at my part-time job to give myself infinite runway (my personal expenses are low, I have health insurance through that job, and I'm still contributing to retirement/savings which is important to not overlook). In my opinion, this is a much better option than going freelance, as you only have to context switch between two projects and you always know you have a paycheck coming in the door.