Ask HN: Tech people who are self employed. How do you do it?
5 throwaway_owe98 2 6/17/2025, 10:07:45 AM
I have realized that I love building software, and I suck at marketing. I'm trying to escape waged job, and switch to being self employed with more flexible times. I don't mind working long hours, but I have problem with 9-5, and being a wage worker.
However, as a techy, I can't seem to build useful things, or things that generate money.
Are there any tech oriented people who were able to quit wage work and turn into self employed? What did you do to achieve this?
-> it's not marketing you suck at, it's building for someone else that you do
>However, as a techy, I can't seem to build useful things, or things that generate money.
-> build something for someone else, don't think about revenue. Even if you build for 1 person, something will click when you see they're using what you build and only then you will figure it out.
Think of it like this:
-> do you have someone close that calls you when they have a problem where you're the expert in(something computer i'm guessing) - if yes, do the same thing, but build something after you understood their pain, iterate until they cannot live without your solution(big/small whatever it is) - don't let them design their solution - you're the solution designer, you need to understand their pain.
Split any revenue with marketing but be sure to always retain control over your source code and development.