Should I start a business or get a job?
The short answer
Get a job that pays you to learn the exact skills your future business needs. Start the business on nights and weekends until it can pay you a salary.
Signals to weigh
- 01You have direct experience with the customer's problem, not just an idea.
- 02You have runway for 12+ months of below-market income.
- 03Your risk tolerance is real — you've tested it, not just imagined it.
- 04Your health insurance and dependents are accounted for.
How to decide
- Step 1Define the business precisely: who buys, what they pay, how you reach them.
- Step 2Get a job at a company that does something adjacent — you'll be paid to learn.
- Step 3Validate on the side: 10 paying customers is worth more than 100 free users.
- Step 4Only go full-time when the business could pay a modest salary for 6 months.
Framework used
OODA Loop →Full walkthrough of the framework, with examples and pitfalls.
Consider these alternatives
- ·Buy an existing small business — instant cash flow, less zero-to-one risk.
- ·Join an early-stage startup — most of the learning at a fraction of the risk.
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