When to Go Independent

Most engineers thinking about going independent overestimate the risk. A smaller number underestimate it. Here's a more honest decision framework.

I waited about 18 months too long to go independent. Here's the framework I'd use to decide if I were considering it now.

The financial floor

Before you leave, you should have:

• 6-9 months of expenses in savings
• A clear sense of your monthly burn (mortgage, rent, food, family)
• Health insurance plan in your jurisdiction (this is the killer for many)
• Realistic projection of your first 6 months of revenue (cut by 50% from "best case")

If those don't add up: stay employed and build inbound first.

The pipeline floor

Before you leave, you should have:

• 1-2 confirmed clients lined up (verbal commits don't count; signed agreements do)
• A way of generating leads that's repeatable (not "I'll figure it out")
• A network that knows what you do (LinkedIn isn't enough)

If those don't exist: build them on the side first.

The skill floor

You should be:

• Capable of charging at the senior end of your market
• Able to operate without daily management (this is the biggest gap I see)
• Comfortable with sales conversations (not love them, but able)

If those don't exist: address them before going independent.

The signal that it's time

The signal isn't "I have everything ready" (you won't). The signal is:

• Your inbound is bigger than you can handle on the side
• Your day job is actively dragging on the work you'd rather do
• You can articulate (to yourself, sober) why this is the move

What I'd tell my past self

Start the side projects sooner. Get the inbound flowing. Have one client on a small scope before going full independent. The "off a cliff" version is unnecessarily hard. The gradual version preserves optionality.

The first six months independent are either the most fun period of your career or the most stressful. Which one depends on whether you did the prep work.