[woid]

Prepare for sacrifices and it will hurt. You need to re-acquire your time back. That is your capital. We all have 24hrs/day, right?

My story: I'm 31, I left comfortable game-engine programmer seat at AAA gaming company because I wanted to build my own products (have been already hacking on browser extensions during evenings for past 8 months). Had savings just for 3-4months. Reduced my burn rate by moving to a very cheap rent. Started doing web-dev freelancing to save money, my goal was to have at least 1 year of runway. After 8 months of cheap life, I finally stated working on my own startup idea (it was basically http://about.me, but with more technical page builder). My GF left me after 2 months and after next 8 moths I started to have some disputes with my co-founder and few weeks later I gave up. I started to work remotely for SF-based startup. The goal was to learn how to "do it right" and to earn money for my next trial. It took it to me next 6 months to recover financially (and socially a bit). After then I started hacking on TotalFinder during the evenings and one year later finally I made it.

You may read about my last year here: http://blog.binaryage.com/the-second-year-of-binaryage

Unfortunately I have to add, that with non-entrepreneurial spouse it would be probably much harder to take it off the ground. It makes sense. Most women expect your time/money investment into partnership/family. Also most of them is averse to risk taking. Why she should stay with you when she would do better with fine salaried non-stressed guy who works 8to5? Better he hates his job, because he will be rushing home for recovery.

You need to make your wife co-investor/partner in building your product, she must invest at least your time she acquired by marriage or she has to help out other way to make similar contribution. So we reduced this problem to the problem of looking for the right co-founder, which is very hard problem to solve anyway :-)