The Benefits of Keeping Your Day Job

1. Financial Stability = Freedom to Experiment

When you have a steady income, you’re not desperate to make money from your startup immediately.

This gives you the freedom to test ideas, pivot, and refine your business without the constant pressure of paying rent.

Example: Patrick McKenzie, the founder of Appointment Reminder, built his SaaS business while working full-time as a software engineer.

He only quit when his startup consistently made more money than his job.

2. Less Pressure = Smarter Decisions

Desperation leads to bad choices—rushed product launches, underpricing, or chasing bad-fit customers just to generate revenue.

Having a paycheck allows you to make decisions based on strategy, not survival.

Example: Basecamp founders kept their consulting jobs while building their product, ensuring they could take their time to make something valuable instead of rushing to profitability.

3. You Can Validate Your Idea First

The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is going all in on an idea that hasn’t been validated.

By building on the side, you can test demand before committing fully.

Example: Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia of Airbnb started by renting out air mattresses in their apartment before quitting their jobs. They tested the demand before going all in.

4. You’re More Likely to Succeed

Studies show that entrepreneurs who keep their jobs while starting their business are 33% less likely to fail than those who quit immediately.

Why? Because they can take their time, refine their idea, and avoid catastrophic financial losses.

How to Build a Startup While Keeping Your Job

1. Time Management: Make Every Hour Count

• Dedicate early mornings, nights, and weekends to your startup.

• Use productivity techniques like time blocking (e.g., 6 AM-8 AM = deep work, 7 PM-10 PM = marketing & sales).

• Eliminate distractions—cut out Netflix binges and social media scrolling.

2. Focus on Revenue Early

• Prioritize paying customers over social media followers.

• Launch small and test demand before scaling.

• If possible, start with consulting or freelancing related to your startup idea to generate income early.

3. Automate & Outsource

• Use tools like Zapier, Notion, or Trello to automate workflows.

• Outsource time-consuming tasks like content creation, admin work, or customer support.

4. Set a Financial Safety Net

• Keep at least 6-12 months of savings before considering quitting.

• Only leave your job when your startup consistently makes at least 75-100% of your salary.

5. Be Strategic About Quitting

• Don’t quit on hype (like a viral post or short-term success).

• Wait until you have repeatable revenue, sustainable growth, and a clear path forward.

• If you do quit, consider transitioning into part-time work first instead of jumping straight into full-time entrepreneurship.

Action Steps: What You Can Do Today

1. Assess your schedule—how many hours can you realistically dedicate to your startup each week?

2. Validate your idea—is there actual demand for what you’re building?

3. Start with revenue—what can you sell right now, even in a small way?

4. Set a quitting threshold—at what income level will you feel safe leaving your job?

5. Cut distractions—how can you make the most of your limited time?

YOUTUBE TREASURE

👉My Pick: Work like a Billionaire