I see a lot of comments criticizing your path and progress. Making remarks like "why didn't you stay at Google".
I applaud your decision, effort, and perseverance. I admire your risk taking and having skin in the game. Trying to make it out on your own.
People forget the journey is not just about the money. It's about learning, growing and bringing your ideas to life. Being an artist, and expressing yourself through products.
Keep on going my friend. There's no doubt you'll get there.
May I ask why you find yourself semi-unemployable? I'm in kind of a similar position as the OP in that I have a significant nest egg so that even if I spend a few years derping around and failing at a bunch of things, I figure that I just need to stop before that nest egg gets anywhere near dangerously low and go back to looking for freelance or consulting work, even at lower rates, should that become necessary to survive. I'm asking about your situation in case there are other pitfalls I need to be wary of.
I am right now an illegal alien in a country (not the US). My home country monthly wage is 5 dollars or so, so returning is not an option unless I can get a remote job.
Without knowing your situation, if you're a good developer it may be possible to get an H1B visa which would allow you to work as a software developer in the US.
I love to program but I am a career switcher. All my professional experience is in logistics, I have a B.S but not in CS, also I am 41. By all means if you have any tip to get a H1B (I have heard is crazy competitive) let me know.
Upwork rejected my resume some months ago. I am enhancing my portfolio to give it a shot again in the next weeks. I want to diversify my income so I have thought about producing digital products, but I need food-rent money now so that it is what I am prioritizing. I am also working on my Algorithms/Data Structures skills to try in TopTal, I dont know if you have any experience with them.
"I don't think I've cringed more than 'expressing yourself through products"
Can you rephrase this criticism in a way that meaningfully contributes to the discussion? All I see is your personal judgementalism directed at someone's phrasing.
You haven't seen the Scott's Tots episode of The Office, have you?
Seriously though, I didn't have that reaction. We each bring our own individual expression to everything we do, that's not sad or cringey at all. The author is looking for a way to use his unique gifts in a way that is satisfying and valuable. The problem he solves and the way he solves it will be unique to him. Or in other words, "expressing himself through his products."
The arts is full of people expressing themselves for pay below the poverty line, often not expected or wanted as remuneration for their expression. Treating business as expression and calling it the same thing as actual art is quite oblivious to the reality.
I made the original comment, and I think we see the world in a different way. This is how I see it:
Creating a business is a creative act. It involves logic and rationality as much as intuition and imagination.
I do think it's an expression of yourself, you're packing all you've learned into something that you think will be valuable to other people. Your personality is reflected in your product, so is your voice.
Ultimately it's up to the creator to treat their business however they seem best. If you want to be all about profits, good for you. If you want to explore ideas, try things and enjoy the creative process while slowly building revenue, also good.
> It involves logic and rationality as much as intuition and imagination.
Yes, because this applies to virtually every human endeavor (even though I find tech types have a tendency to discount the former in areas outside their expertise).
I applaud your decision, effort, and perseverance. I admire your risk taking and having skin in the game. Trying to make it out on your own.
People forget the journey is not just about the money. It's about learning, growing and bringing your ideas to life. Being an artist, and expressing yourself through products.
Keep on going my friend. There's no doubt you'll get there.