Ask HN: Advice - Working Full-time while starting a side business?

Hi,<p>I've done exactly this (although my full time job is great, and I love it).<p>I think it is a really great way of dipping your toes in the water while keeping your risk low.<p>Time management:<p>I get up at 6, allowing me an hour and a half's work before the day job. I also work in the evenings for maybe an hour or two, and often at weekends. I'm lucky in that my fiancee is a medical student, who also needs to work evenings and weekends, so we tend to work together.<p>It is important to give yourself a day or two off now and then, or you'll burn out.<p>Focus:<p>I think the 'Lean Startup' lessons apply even more when you're working in your spare time on your product. Limited time means you have to be ruthless with your feature-set, find your market and users early, and don't waste time on unnecessary stuff.<p>Things you shouldn't be doing include Billing Systems, Automated Support, anything that isn't a key feature that is going to sell your service.<p>I'd also recommend not trying to use a new technology which you're not familiar with. Although there're huge benefits to using new languages etc, this isn't the time- you have very limited time, so any non-productive time looking up language/library features really eats into your time.

When you start to experience some break throughs with your SaaS you'll want to quit your job even more than you do now.<p>When I left my job, in hindsight I did it probably 1 or 2 months too soon. Which makes things difficult. When you feel you've got better things you could be working on - it's all too tempting to just stand up &#38; quit.<p>The main things I would suggest are<p>1) Having a solid quitting point and make it realistic. That could be number of paying customers, savings in the bank, whatever fits your budget. When you're having a bad day at your day job, just keep reminding yourself you're still there because it's all part of the plan<p>2)Use your bootstrapping time wisely. Always plan in advance what needs to be done before you get your bootstrapping time. Whether that's making a list before bed, in your lunch hour etc you'll get the most out of your evening work times.<p>3)Stay social, bootstrapping time and family time should be of equal importance. Often you find when you're stuck on a problem, taking a break means you come back to your product with fresh eyes.