HACKER Q&A
📣 entrefuture

Entrepreneurs, should I start a business?


I grew up poor in SE Asian country. I lived in the US for 5 years and got job at top FAANG company. I have around 150k in savings which is fairly low compared to people at my age of 32. Pandemic required me to move back to the home country. I don’t have PR card and long GC wait times also does not play in my favor. I have been thinking of starting a business in software. I do have an option of coming back on visa next year. On one side, I will have guaranteed income from job, but no freedom to do anything else. Every two year I will have change to keep up this market. Job search and job change is extremely dreadful though and I don’t like the process of interviewing.

While starting a business is a choice, I will not guaranteed income. I am positive though if I do it full time, I will get some output. It could be software services or product business. But, since we didn’t have a lot of money growing up, I don’t like the idea of not having an income.

Speaking of competition, people of my age will earn at least 1 million in FaanG jobs in next 5 years. So if business doesn’t do well, I will have more years to work. I am 32 though, so technically still have time.

What are your thoughts on starting a business?


  👤 gus_massa Accepted Answer ✓
Have you consider consulting? Take a look at the suggestions of patio11 https://training.kalzumeus.com/newsletters/archive/consultin... HN discussions: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4805091 (1034 points | Nov 19, 2012| 263 comments) and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15994410 (780 points | Dec 23, 2017 | 481 comments)

[Disclaimer: No. I don't work in consulting.]


👤 PaulHoule
Depends on the business plan.

👤 lkjoi23j3oijf
Be glad you live in the US and not in the EU. Otherwise your salary will be at least 5x less for the same job as a software developer.