[mxh]

I'm starting a business. (Quit my job in February, in fact.) I don't have a co-founder. Here's my cunning plan.

I build things I find interesting, and search for product ideas that other people are willing to pay for. I talk about what I do. This seems like a good way to meet and talk to the sort of people who are interested in making money by doing the sort of thing I do.

There's been a lot of talk about how not having a CF is a handicap. Let's say it is. You can get started, or not, but not getting started doesn't seem to get you closer to your goal, make you a better CF, or bring you into contact with people who can help you with your business.

It would be nice to have a good CF; a long-time acquaintance with a compatible personality, complementary skill-set, rich parents, entrepreneurial bent, few obligations, etc., but you either know someone like that or you don't. If you don't, it will take years to change that ("long-term") and it seems silly to wait, if you really want to do your own startup.

Sometimes, you have to make do with what you have.

[wallflower]

What was it like to quit your job in February? Were you ready before you decided or did you become ready once you decided?

As soon as my apt. lease is up, I'm seriously debating about: leaving my job, traveling to another country to maximize savings and learn Spanish, code, code, code, put it out there..

Even though I have a good job (and with this economy, as my Mom tells me), I have four or five ideas that I want to execute on. I'm starting to delude myself that I'd be happier slaving away in retail or the service industry (the economy) and coding at nights, working on projects that I am interested on. But I know that if I execute right, that finding a job won't be a problem (it will be a choice - job or startup)

[SwellJoe]

"As soon as my apt. lease is up, I'm seriously debating about: leaving my job, traveling to another country to maximize savings and learn Spanish, code, code, code, put it out there.."

I'm just curious...are their any hugely successful tech startups that went the route of "maximizing savings" to the point of moving to a super cheap country very far out of reach of the tech industry?

I can't help but think that being far out of the technology loop and away from peers is good for literature and, maybe, art but incredibly bad for creating an application that people want to use. There's something about Silicon Valley that, despite the extremely high cost of living, leads to more successful tech startups than anywhere else. Readily available funding can't be all of it...can it?

[wallflower]

My definition of entrepreneur is someone who takes risks in a managed manner. Going on this trip is more about expanding my comfort zone (unfamiliar language) and adding more life experience to my non-work resume.

I agree that it's harder to start a successful company virtually without face to face networking. Silicon Valley will always be Valhalla. There are a handful of people on News.YC who are already living abroad and managing to code to support themselves.

[mxh]

"What was it like to quit your job in February? Were you ready before you decided or did you become ready once you decided?"

I made my decision back in October, and gave notice then. I was in my cube, an email with a busywork task popped into my inbox, and I knew right then that it was time to go. (I had been preparing for years, however, saving money and keeping expenses low.)

I think your idea of relocating to a lower-cost country is intriguing. Moving can be disruptive, though, so you want to make sure the additional time you get (through a lower cost of living) isn't all eaten up with the distractions of travel.

I've heard Argentina is pretty wired.

[edw519]

"As soon as my apt. lease is up, I'm seriously debating about: leaving my job, traveling to another country to maximize savings and learn Spanish, code, code, code, put it out there.."

Why don't you just code, code, code now? If you work 40 hours per week, that still oughta leave plenty of time to get started on your ideas. Even if you only get 10% done, that's a lot better than 0%.

[wallflower]

Outside of work, I code now just to dip my feet in the water. I find coding cuts into my desire to become a better Salsa dancer and networker. Priorities?