Original link: https://limboy.me/links/becoming-a-full-time-creator-as-a-software-engineer/
The author previously worked at Uber (Engineer Manager). After resigning from Uber, he started writing Newsletter full-time (he spent a lot of time writing books in the middle). After 4 months, his Newsletter became the paid Top 1 in the technical field on Substack . This article is some of his suggestions for switching from an engineer to a content creator, which is relatively comprehensive. Cultural differences may bring about changes in implementation, but the basic business logic is the same. If you are also an engineer and are thinking about what to do after leaving the company, then this article should help you.
The author first mentioned the change in concept, not seeing himself as a creator, but running a small business (Small Business).
Instead of talking about succeeding as a creator, I’ll instead talk about how to succeed as a small business.
Usually there are several ways:
- Become a freelancer or take on outsourced projects. The work you do is not much different from working in a company, but you have less protection.
- Start a business of your own and hire yourself. Such as providing services (such as consulting services) or selling their own products (such as Apps, courses, etc.).
- Pull investment to start a business. I still have a lot of right to speak, but I need to manage the team and be responsible to investors.
- Invest full time. After working in a technology company for a while, there is usually a good income, which can be profitable through investments (such as stocks).
Most creators have adopted the B2C (or C2C) model to sell their products to target customers, so they need to consider the following questions: 1) What kind of product; 2) Who are the target customers; 3) How to sell them. This requires a switch of mentality, from “creator” to “operator”, not only build, but also sell, which is a test of comprehensive ability.
After adjusting the mentality, the author also gave some suggestions in the “how to do it” section:
- Be prepared to save enough. This allows more time to explore and find a path that suits you better.
- Build multiple Side Projects to understand yourself better. You can only do better if you understand your passion and circle of competence.
- For potential projects, you can make small bets, and then decide whether it is worth the follow-up investment based on the feedback.
- Build a moat (usually in a certain niche market ), which may take a long time, and when the moat is deep enough, the advantages will be obvious.
In the article, the author lists many business parts (what kind of products can be sold, and through what channels) and successful cases for reference. Although One Person Business is very attractive, it is also very difficult and may take a long time to work. While seeing those successful cases, don’t forget the survivor bias .
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