8 things I learned by quitting my full time job

POSTED BY Jagoinvestor ON September 10, 2012 COMMENTS (282)

Haven’t we all faced this at one time or the other? The pain of staying in your job getting worse than the pain of leaving your job ? If the answer is yes, this article is for you.

I am writing this article after Sunil asked a related question on leaving a job and starting a business on his own in our questions and answers forum. He wanted to discuss few things before he can start a business by quitting his day job.

Hello Guys,

Looking at the market conditions in Indian IT Market, it is obvious that anything can happen at any given point of time… I have interest from starting to set up a business (small scale) and have a cushion to my career…. I need few ideas from learned people like you in starting up a business (with at least 3-4 lacs).

I would really appreciate your feedback and comments.

In this article, we will discuss a few things about leaving a regular job and starting on your own,  developing  business idea which you’ve had from long time.

Why this topic on a personal finance blog ?

Truly speaking, this is related to your financial life. A lot of people have extra ordinary aspirations and desires in life. They want to travel around the world, they want to own millions and want to have an ability to spend whatever amount they want on anything in life, but deep down they know, that it would not be easy to achieve everything they want from a regular 9-5 job.

A lot of people get into a job which they feel would be suitable for them, only to realize it later only after few years, that they have made such a big mistake in their life. But we have so much to accomplish , children education , their future, the desire and pressure to give them the best in life, parents , spouse , their dreams and their wants in life.

People who are not happy at their job, they just bury themselves under responsibilities and for entire life, keep on dragging in their current profession and job. However this not a story of everyone, a lot of people love their jobs and are really content and satisfied with what they are doing.

I had recently done a survey on how people are frustrated in their current work and some more information. Here are the full results. please go through it and look how do you fit in there.

 

What about those who are not satisfied in their jobs and career? I had earlier written that your financial life is directly related to your career . If you are not doing great in your career, it will impact your earnings, and hence directly impact your financial goals and the wealth you will generate in life.

So you need to decide if you want to move on and do something on your own as soon as possible, be it  for emotional satisfaction or more monitory satisfaction. Unless you are happy in your work, you cant focus on wealth creation.

My Story of leaving a job and starting on my own

Some people get shock of their life, when they hear that I was a software guy once in my life.

Let me share with you, how I was once a very good student in Computer Science and then became a dull/boring/worthless/unproductive software guy and finally took charge of my career and went on to change my domain to Personal Finance and even wrote a Personal Finance Book (Read 65+ amazing review on flipkart)

 

My Story

I was working in Yahoo at Bangalore in a nice software job, I was considered a good student at my post graduation days but only I know what I was really capable of (like you do) .

I was good at many things like Algorithms, data structures and problem solving skills, but really sucked at others;  Networks, Operating Systems and System related things. Somehow I managed to muddled through, but I still don’t understand them even today 🙂

Yahoo hired me (thanks to them) for the job which demanded exactly all those things out of me, which in my wildest dreams I never wanted to work on. I was devastated and saw my end in the first month of my job. But I had to continue the job, because of my financial commitments.

Each day the expectations in my job grew way beyond my performance, and it made sure my guilt and dissatisfaction increase at a compounded rate. I could see clearly that I am working for money only, I was not able to see myself anywhere in next 3-5 yrs, The frustration of going office without any motive and passion was really killing from inside. I was very sure and clear at that point of time, that my affair with software field has come to an end.

I had to take some extreme step.

How Jagoinvestor came into existence

I had always learned things in my life by teaching others. I was good at personal finance from start of my life and always believed it to be such a easy thing and wondered why people complicate it without any reason. This passion of personal finance and love for teaching gave birth to Jagoinvestor.

I was spending my 80% time at office towards Jagoinvestor (10% time went for lunch). Things moved at a really good speed and I was really passionate about what I was doing and loved it. I suddenly realized that this is my passion, this is something I am passionate about, this was something which was not making any money for me at that point of time, but I could have paid to do it myself.

This was something I woke for each day, Jagoinvestor was something I lived for, It was something which negated my stress and frustration as Software engineer. For next 1-2 yrs, It got bigger and bigger and I was known as an expert 🙂

I was a trusted person on personal finance which was not my field by education, but I was not even considered for something related to software field even though my education and career was based on that. I never cared.

Leaving Job

I and Nandish met in between and we could see how we both could take it to next level. By the end of 3.5 yrs at Yahoo, we were generating some money from Jagoinvestor, but it was not consistent. I knew it can never be consistent flow of money in business, at least in starting years.

I gathered my courage and the belief that we will succeed. I owe so much to Nandish who motivated me and coached me on this aspect, which helped in decision making of quitting my job.

It was not easy ! I had spent so much time and (little) effort in computer science, My parents had put lot of struggle and money on it, and after all I had spent 3 yrs on Computer Science, how could it go for a waste ? How could I leave a well paying job which everybody dreams of and become a blogger ? What will my relatives think , What will my own family think ? What will my future-in-law’s think (SE vs Blogger) .

There was pressure – but I was sure I was not a pressure cooker, I knew I could not risk my entire life. There was not a perfect moment to “quit my job” and I knew there will never be, on the last day of 2010, just few months before my marriage, I left my job and took the next bus to Pune from Bangalore to start the new year and new journey in life, without thinking much what’s ahead.

There were thoughts like “Am I making a right decision ?” , “Will it really be the way I am thinking?” etc , but I also knew deep down that, if I don’t do it now, it would never happen.

Now, after a year and a half  of leaving my job, I can say not even a single day have I remembered or missed my job (except the unlimited sweets and the rasam-rice), though I loved the company. Each day has been a wait to open my laptop and enjoy writing articles and help people in their queries. My Work life is now 100 times better than what it was before leaving the job.

That’s my short story 🙂

So whats next ?

You don’t always have to build  a multi-million dollar start up or create an empire! If you are not happy in your current job, then you just need to move to some other sector or start some business.

Nandish always says that people are so much attached to their current job that they believe that’s their destiny and life now. They don’t even get a thought that their purpose of life might be something else, if they are good at their current job, there might be something where you are awesome .

Just because you didn’t accidentally got into some profession or some company does not mean it owns you or your entire career. You can still move . If you were asked that you will never be able to work in the same sector/profession again because “god” has ordered it , what would be the next thing you will fit in ? What will interest you and you might want to give it a try (share with us)

 

 

8 things I learned by quitting my full time job

Based on my little experience and whatever I had learnt from others, here are some of the sharing for someone who is considering to leave a job and start on his own. These tips are not extra ordinary tips, they are more of a reminder to you rather than teaching something.

If you consider all these points in your planning, then the chances of getting successful would increase. Neither of the below points are perfect, nor it will be applicable to every one. These are just some observations from my side.

1. Start the background work now

Most of the people wait for the last moment till things get ugly and each day is a nightmare at job. If you are very clear that you want to head out on your own someday, start the background work right now in this moment.

Whatever you want to do, learn the game of that while you are in job, start understanding dynamics of the business you want to get into, now. The job to business transition is really a tough thing to do. It takes time, it takes effort, it takes dedication.

2. See if you can do something parallelly

It’s not always possible, but if there is any way you can run your business or start something on the side, it would really increase your confidence.

The chances of this happening is higher, if you can find a right business partner. For most of the people who work in big companies, the best thing could be to talk about it with few friends in the office group itself, who also share same kind of vision and passion. 

Here is a sharing from a jagoinvestor reader on how he worked with his colleague’s after office hours and successfully started his own company soon despite having a home loan and kids to feed

Me and my friend developers who have high passion on starting up a company, we both are married and both have kids of less than 1 yr. We worked after office hours to make the setup and finally we started our company this new year officially quitting.

We made a huge savings to run for next whole year in the same life style and to pay home loans. If we have not taken home loan we would have jumped a little earlier, how ever I see it in a positive way, it keeps us pushing like a fire under belly, we have to do that little extra and that deadline of payments are always there and a huge sum I have taken two house loans including one in joint .

3. Create the buffer

One of the biggest deterrent for starting on your own is “what if things go wrong” kind of questions. This happens mostly if you are weak on your buffer amount. The buffer is nothing, but your emergency fund, in-case things don’t work out for initial few months or 1-2 yrs . It should pay for your basic expenses at-least, if not luxuries.

The larger a buffer you can create, the better it is and it will happen only if you start now at this moment, otherwise not. I would say a 3 yrs buffer is a good number, but most of the people are ok with 1 yr buffer too. If your current expenses are 40,000 per month, you would need 5 lacs per year (40,000 X 12) is what you need for 1 yr and 15 lacs as your 3 yrs buffer.

See how you can generate 5 lacs as first milestone and then 15 lacs. Note that your buffer is inversely proportional to your confidence and how ready you are for your new venture, and a direct function of how ready you are overall.

4. Double income will help

Software guys have this advantage like no one else, a lot of them are DINKS (double income no kids), husband and wife both are earning good money. This situation is ideal for those who want to give it a try. While one person can earn and make sure things are on track, the other person can give his/her shot on entrepreneurship.

If things go wrong, you still have something to fall back upon. I see this situation as “one is earning the money and the other is burning the money”, but at the end it’s more easy than a single earner case. So now if you are about to get married and want to leave a job and start on your own in next few years, you know you will have to give more preference to someone who is earning money. That’s a choice you need to make.

5. Get rid of liabilities

If you already have some kind of liability, like a home loan, it really becomes a pain to even think about leaving a job. You might have to postpone your decision, but don’t bury it . Yes, you have a liability, but once you complete that liability you will have your own home, & that would be a great support mentally. You know in the worst case you have something to fall back on.

Also another advantage would be that once you complete your home loan, you will have one expense less (rent) to pay in life and as you still have many years left to take the jump, its an ideal situation to plan. When you know there are many years in job, you can give your maximum time in planning, getting ready and if possible “increase” the size of your buffer!

6. Imagine the worst case and find ways to deal with it 

This is the biggest reason why most people do not budge from their jobs and keep dragging. The worst case scenario really scares them to death. In the book  How to stop worrying and Start living, the author Dale Carnegie says that one can reduce the worry by mentally accepting the whole worst case scenario, and really write it down and then see what will be his actions at that point of time.

Imagine you are a software guy. What is the worst case which can happen if you take a calculated risk of leaving the job and starting something on your own after lot of planning? 

This is what I can think of – You will blow all your buffer you have created, your venture will not work out and you will lose some months or years – what next?  Worst case, you will have to get back to a job. It will be tough, you will face difficulty to get back to the same level of salary. In worst case, you will start lower than what you earn today, but that’s what is the cost you will have to pay for the desire of starting on your own.

7.  Don’t quit the job !

Just because you are reading this article does not mean you start feeling that you also want to leave your job and start your own venture. No ! .. We are just talking about those, who are “dragging” , they are unsatisfied with their jobs and want to do something else in life.

Its perfectly fine if you are just in your job and move on with the same thing for life. A quite lot of people really excel at their work and earn really big bucks, its all about your love for the work and how far you can go with it, you can always move to next job, go abroad and earn more money.

So not quitting a job is also an option. You need to think about it, evaluate the pain and pleasure attached to both the options and choose what you want to do. There is nothing right or wrong decision, its only “your decision”.

8. Make it as a project

When we get on call – Me and Nandish sometimes talk about the concept of Dreams vs Project. You complete your office work because its a Project, you complete your college practicals and exams because it’s a project, and you also prepare and present a presentation at work because its kind of a “project.”

You fail at getting up early in morning and exercise because its a Dream, not a project, you are not able to save enough to pay down-payment of house as planned, because its a Dream, not a project.

In much the same way, most people do not achieve the transition of leaving the job and starting their venture because its a dream, not a project. If you want to understand more about the difference between Dream vs Project, listen to this 12 min’s audio

Idea’s for starting a new venture

A big challenge in leaving the job and starting on your own is “what will be the next venture?” It leaves an open question in many minds and people are not able to take the decision. We can all collectively share some idea’s on what kind of small or big business can be done with small and big capital .

You must have one good idea to share , Please share it will all and I will publish the list of all idea’s on this same article once they start floating.

Real Life Sharing’s about how they feel at current job ?

Experience 1

Following the herd culture ,i.e, after 12th doing engineering and then software job irrespective of one’s branch and now life looks like to be more of a mechanical where everyday you do mundane things and on top of it some crap , foolish and utterly junk lowly intellectual managers govern your appraisal and hike.

I want to get rid of this junk industry where human emotions get dissolved in thin air and people are moving towards making themselves machine oriented trying to achieve efficiency of typical machine with elusive numbers.

Experience 2

I am working with a pvt limited Bank.Though the Bank is employee friendly and has a great future but I feel my vertical is very boring and stagnant.My supervisors are very rude and insult me in front of everyone.My job has no challenge and stagnant.Though my knowledge is better than other colleagues but I am given job of a doc executive.

With no knowledge involve in it.I wanna go 2 other dept.but my supervisors are not allowing me for that.It makes me helpless.My productivity is getting decreases but I ve not lost hope may be in future I ll get a better work related 2 my knowledge.

Experience 3

Not much to share. Not just enjoying my job. Its not satisfying. Its not what I wanted to do in my life. i’m a bank Manager now, but don’t really feel so, being in one of the largest pvt sector banks. There is a lot of gap between what is written in offer letter and what is being offered us to do daily in office.

The number of hours we give to office, is just too much. Usually more than 11 hours a day, all through the year. What I and most of the colleagues believe that, if we give this much dedication and passion to some venture of our own, then we can reach pinnacle of success on our own.

Why should we give so much to another company? Will it give us a justified share of its profit if we give so much to the company. NEVER.

Experience 4

Basically, i am a drummer and interested in the Music domain. By chance or by mistake i have come to this bloody Software Industry, which is full of diplomacy and politics, which is never suited to my type! So planning to be back with my musical nature and rocking mode.

Experience 5

I am a post graduate degree holder in Mechanical Engineering (Research) from IIT Madras . I was chosen by one of the biggest software companies from campus for my employment. I am being employed in the IT outsourcing division. Company recruits were bragging at the time of placement.

I am doing some type of maintenance and enhancement work of some client’s mainframe software which up to a certain extent is challenging due to the analytical and logical skills involved. My current job does not leverage my scientific and mathematical knowledge acquired during my studies and that feeling keeps me dissatisfied in my current job.

I did not take a honest and serious effort in moving out from the situation as I got very much comfortable with the current position and also due to other family commitments. A 2-3 year onsite work opportunity is looming and I am hoping of saving a corpus and proceed for a career change.

Can you relate to the above cases ? Is your story very much on same lines ?

How did you find this article ? Do you think it was valuable for you ? Are you in that situation where you want to leave the job and start something on your own ? Share your experience or views with all of us .

282 replies on this article “8 things I learned by quitting my full time job”

  1. Mohit says:

    Nice article Manish… just wish to share my own experience here, even though its diametrically opposite in net results that others sought to achieve…
    i have always been an entrepreneur but at a boring kind of a business, okay not boring exactly but not something a person can understand or relate to ( i run an international logistics company, more specifically a freight forwarding company)… the income i make runs into eight figures each year (for the last 5-6 years) but the nature of work isn’t too creative or even exciting in sense of lasting value creation to the world in general. Most importantly, I have so much trouble explaining to anyone about what I do, that i started having identity issues (pretty naive for a 30-year old you’d say, but you are a rockstar blogger!)

    So i have taken the plunge and become a part-time writer, i.e. publish my book. its a travel-fiction series (www.theroadtrippers.in), first part of which is releasing this November. Besides being an outlet for my creative instincts, I just hope it helps me give a better introduction of myself and a much higher self-esteem than what I currently enjoy.
    The business is doing well, so it shall continue to run my house, as well as pay for the publicity of my alternate career.

    Kudos to your blog, always love to read it for some gyan and inspiration.

    1. Manish says:

      Hey Mohit

      Glad to hear that 🙂 . We all are trying to do something meaningful in our lives and as far as we are true to that, we are all rock stars 🙂

      Manish

  2. Raghu says:

    Hi Manish,

    That was a lovely article. I am a rock musician too (singing and guitar) and want to get back to music full time. Your article was very inspiring, as I am always contemplating when can I make the jump to full time music and yet sustain myself financially without work as such. Am close to that goal now and making the jump in Nov-Dec. Am overseas right now and moving back to Chennai. Are you still there or in Pune? It would be nice to meet up and jam 🙂

    1. Great to hear that Raghu

      I know its a tough call ! .. but you need to work it out someway if its really your dream..

      Yes, I am in Pune.. incase you are in Pune some time, mail me 🙂 .

  3. ROHITH says:

    Hi Manish,
    I am Rohith from Hyderabad. I joined a Pharma company 6 years ago in the Quality control department. I was not at all interested in the job but continued it due to financial commitments . I thought that it might be because I did not like the organisation because there is no growth opportunities so I changed the company and joined another organisation. Now the situation has become even worse and now I am not even interested in going to office in the morning . I am not even able to leave the job because I have loan EMIs to pay monthly. I have a small plan to start a Business in the field of tread rubber and rubber moulding which requires investment upto rupees 10 lakhs . How to develop this plan to start the business and know about the market in this field and how to get the funds for the business. Should I leave the job and do something else or how should i develop interest in the job which i am least intersted. Thank you

    1. Hi Rohith.. Sorry this is not related to what we do or understand.

      YOu might want to connect with some one related to this field. We know a CA who might help you on this on paid basis.

      http://www.jagoinvestor.com/solutions/ca-services

      Manish

  4. Umesh Pimpale says:

    Hi Manish,
    Thanks for sharing your personal experience. I am reading most of the articles of JagoInvestor. I am surprised now, that software guy writes such a nice, up to date & informative articles on finance. Hats off to you.
    Best wishes for your future.

    1. Thanks for your comment Umesh Pimpale

  5. Sharad says:

    Hi Manish,

    I wish I had read this before. I’m 43 now, and I’m continuing with job, which I’m not enjoying. The other reason of not loving the job, is that I don’t have any loan :-).
    Married late, I’ve a family with two kids (3.75 and 2.5 years), hence responsible towards them. I’m not DINK. However,
    I can quit, but struggling to find what next. I’ve keen interest in personal finance (managing my own) and I read your articles since 2013. I should be working at least 20 more years to do something fruitful. The other career option I think of is to become a personal trainer. Anything, you can suggest in these two fields ?

    1. Hi Sharad

      I think I am not eligible to comment on that. Its very personal thing and depends on a lot of factors which can only be answered by you 🙂

      Manish

      1. Sharad says:

        Thanks Manish.

  6. Brijesh says:

    Hello sir,
    I m working as class -I officer in goverment job for last eight year. I am not happy in job due to goverment culture. I want to do business but I don’t have concrete plan. I have good financial condition.
    Suggest some plan to start business.

    1. Hi Brijesh

      Thanks for asking your question. However, I dont think I am eligible to answer your query as its either out of scope of my knowledge or its not related to money matter directly

      Manish

  7. Achu says:

    Hi Manish,
    Read your article and it was really fantastic. Thanks for sharing your brave decision. I was an Asst Manager in a private sector bank in India. My 7 years experience in the bank never helped me upbringing any of my talents and I feel I have lot more capabilities . I always thought of resigning the job and starting something new. You know our society won’t digest if we resign and stay back in India. So I resigned and enrolled for Graduate Diploma in Personal Financial Planning in Newzealand. Now that I have come out of the banking stream I wish to go back to India after my studies and start a Financial Consultancy in Kerala, India. I feel more confident to be my own boss and also I am a cricketer by passion and by part time profession in Kerala . I wish to take up the club I played for and start coaching to youngsters as a side for my business which may be taking time to get settled. Please share your opinion on my decision.

    1. Great decision .. Its more important to try something you believe in and not winning or failing ..

  8. Shivam says:

    Hi Manish,

    Just read this fantastic article. For me the case is a bit different. I feel like I am not satisfied being stagnant at a particular thing. I am into softwares currently doing some maintaining and enhancing stuffs but that is not what I want to do for next com ing years. Whatever I do I give my best in it, my problem is, I want to do everything in life, from writing to blogging, making products, excelling at financials , and I also have much interest in political and defence analysis. I am just afraid how to plan my coming years.
    I might look like an unguided youth, but that’s what I feel from college. I am happy at doing different things, that’s what I do at office also. I guess you might have some handy suggestions for me. I would love to hear from you.

    Regards,
    Shivam

    1. Hi Shivam

      I am not sure how old are you and what have been your experienced in life. All I can say is that dont try to do lot of things, because its not possible . You cant be master of all things in life. May be one can excel is 1 thing or max 2 and make a career in that. May be you have not yet identified it yet, hence you feel you can do everything in life.

  9. Deepak says:

    Hi Manish,

    You and Nandish are doing very good job. It is indeed very nice to see young people like you are into personal finance and are providing honest advice to investors. Your article on quitting the job is true in all sense. The 8 points are very relevant for all who are planning to quit the job. Keep up the good work.

    1. Thanks for your comment Deepak

  10. Bipin says:

    Dear Manish,

    I’m a great follower of all your articles and appreciate your immense knowledge on PF. As I’m turning 44 tomorrow thought of writing this autobiography ):- . My story is a crazy and unique one . I’m not so good at story writing ,might feel boring at times. I’m a doctor by qualification(alternative medicine ) and s/w engineer by profession. During my initial yrs out of college ,had private practice for few yrs but it didn’t work out well. Since s/w was hot during that time ,prior to 2000 , did some s/w courses and got into this industry. Initial yrs were quite challenging and exciting (got onsite as well,the biggest attraction) .Got married and have two kids who are in early teens. Financially , have a house worth 50lks ,minimal debts (around 6lks) , real estate + investments +bank balance (50 lks +) . I’m now getting worn out of this daily routine ,pressure and planning to go back to my old profession though it won’t be as remunerative. Might be fortunes can change as well ,if practice goes good .I have restarted my study and ground work (you can say back to square one,better late than never) for quite some time now. But my kids education and thought of future expenses is preventing from taking that risk. I’m still ready to carry on for 1-2 yrs in the s/w field till I get a good confidence in my future plans. What is ur opinion?.

    1. Hi Bipin

      I strongly suggest that you try to start things on the side. Its always a good and safe thing to do things side by side and move gradually. If you just stop one thing and do another, the risk level is high and if you are ok with taking it, so be it.

  11. Dashrath says:

    Dear,
    Good article and in my view 90+ % of job people agree will agree that we have to do some things. But it is like exercise, we all know that we have to do it everyday for our-self but few people like you are taking decision and stick to it. I am also started doing some thing with my job, and your article supported my believes.

    Thanks for sharing

    1. Thanks for your comment Dashrath

  12. Sidharth says:

    Thanks for the Article Manish.
    People just talk about quitting jobs and starting something of their own without adequate planning and those who think and don’t quit just sit on the fence for obvious valid reasons when it comes to saving and responsibilities. Having a mentor is very important along with personal and financial planning.
    Thanks for sharing your experience.

    1. Thanks for your comment Sidharth

  13. HS says:

    Hi Manish. Read your article just now and wanted to congratulate you on what you have been able to capture here in terms of your experience. Very motivating.

    HS

  14. PrashantBC says:

    Hi Manish,

    Clear and clean explanation of all the points and things to be considered.
    It means i have to take some more time to think and act

    will be in touch here . could you send me your mail id so that i can ask you some advise when i 100% decide to quit and start a new life in entrepreneurship

      1. PrashantBC says:

        Thanks a lot Manish

  15. Vipul says:

    Hi Manish,

    Good share. Are there any legal constraints in starting your own business and continue working for your present IT company? Can’t the present employer claim intellectual property to my business, if I start it during my tenure?

    1. It will all depend on your contract agreement with your company

  16. Parshuram says:

    Sir,
    I am MCA post graduate student. I got job in college i feel this is not OK for me i quit, then i got job in s/w company with low salary but when i go to my job i feel this is not OK for me becoz i feel every time job is not suit for me and i want to do some thing different that is own boss business. when i was doing job in s/w company 9-6 i feel its one year timing i spend daily waste but when i am doing own planning own job 24*7 i feel happy and feeel want to do more n more. i want to do my own dairy farming business.not only this after getting success in this field i move to start different business, and create more n more job. but now problem is parents not agree to this because they have mind set is after mca i am good software engineer whatever my salary no problem but do job in s/w company. sir i can understand my parents inner feeling is if i don’t have job then who will get marry with me. what we say in our society and relatives. after mca my son doing buffalo feeding job this matter insulting them so i explained them i don’t care other people what think about me. or my job u means my parents happy then i feel i will reach my destiny. but now my problem is how convince them and one big problem is investment.how to get investment please guide me sir i am waiting for your reply.my mail id is rkindia920@gmail.com. my contact number is 9538166592

    1. I didnt get what exactly is your question

      1. AmarM says:

        He has to start his Dairy Farming business. He has 2 quesitons.
        1) How to convince his parents about quitting a job and starting Dairy Farming ?
        2) What are the possible ways to generate the Seed Capital for his venture?
        I hope, you can guide him now.
        Thanks,
        Amar M.

        1. Santanu says:

          I think if you are confident enough to do something then why need to convince your parents? better to believe in self.

          Although I am not a business man or a successful blogger, but I have also faced this common problem how to convince parents, partners or relatives. Actually we should try to convince ourselves that are we really know what we are going to do and are there any plan B in case I fail without other priorities?

          1. Thanks for your comment Santanu

          2. Deepak says:

            Dear friend
            You just start with hard work,you see first
            Person who help you that’s your parent

        2. 1. No standard process as far as I know, totally dependent on the person how he/she does it

          2. By seed funding ?

  17. Gaurav says:

    Hi,

    that was a nice article to read.

    i have few questions like is it legally ok to work as an employee and open your own firm. lets say my current work and my firm business area are totally different.

    how will the tax be calculated on both incomes from current and savings account. How to manage it.

    Thanks

    1. It will depend on your employer agreement with you !

  18. taraknc says:

    After going through this article, came across this

    http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-24-year-old-holding-doctor-and-ias-degrees-quits-to-become-an-e-tutor-for-free-2164182

    great example for going behind passion.

    thanks
    Tarak

    1. Thanks for your comment taraknc

  19. Nikhil says:

    One thing is certain, I am not gonna pull myself back just because of “pados wali Sharma Aunty”. I have been saving for 3 years and now desire to go for my PhD sooner or later.
    And I completely second your opinion on Financial Planning for a Future Career change. The biggest asset I have today is “No Liability”, no home, no car, no credit card shit. Everything is bought with hard cash. Its a huge relief considering that I too hate my job for various reasons pointed out above.
    Everyone thinking of quitting must ensure at least subsistence expenses for 2-3 years. In the end, the real deal is whether you are ready the accept the worst case scenario and go ahead with it ?

    1. Hi NIkhil

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this issue and article.

  20. Sohail says:

    Leaving the job is not an easy task! any how becoming FP…

    1. Thanks for your comment Sohail

  21. Sachin says:

    Hi Manish

    You have written beautiful articles. Some are eye openers as well.
    Like you I too came out of a Software trap. Now I am struggling to run a new small business 🙂

    1. Glad to know that Sachin ..

  22. Ripudaman Singh says:

    Dear Manish, sometimes life got so much challenging that we can’t decide what to do. Same is the situation with me. I am B.Sc in geology and did M.B.A in sales and marketing. I am living at a place which has a population more than 7 lac but still very undeveloped. At that time we were not having so many options to choose what to study so as i was having interest in science so i opted B.Sc after that again someone guided about the scope of M.B.A. So parents unknowingly asked me to do so. again i opted without any will. Started my career in 2005 and from that moment I never got satisfied coz of family situations i have to do job and that to in my hometown where there options are scarcely available for job. So against that I am doing job but apart of my interest in automobiles and mechanics i have to do job in door to door sales which a layman can perform without any training. I currently joined a job hardly one and a half month back but dis-satisfaction is at its highest point with the job, coz in this job we have to search new shops to which we can give our portal to work but people treat us like beggars as if we are needy and they are kings.This type of job is not suitable to my personality. I want to quit job and want to start a small business but if we consider todays financial scenario, starting a new business itself can become a suicide. So Manish can u guide me dear what to do in the present prevailing situation. I will be very thankful to you.

    1. Not having a good networth can surely be a big problem, unless you build a good networth you cant take the risk of giving up on your job . SO first focus on building 5-10 lacs on the side. THis has to be your first focus

  23. ankur says:

    Excellent artcle sir, this artcle helped me a lot

    Thanks once again
    Ankur

    1. Glad to know that ankur ..

  24. Jasmeet says:

    Salute to you Sir! You have been my motivation. Really happy to read your blog. Currently I am also going through some job struggles. Just hope I get them resolved soon!

    1. Glad to know that Jasmeet ..

  25. Mahesh from Pune says:

    Manish, Really nice post. I have read all your books. You said right taking the decision is tough however the real thing is that we afraid of leaving of our comfort zone.

    1. Thanks for your comment Mahesh from Pune

  26. Raj says:

    Dear Manish,
    Your article is just matches my situation. I am suffering in software industry since 14 years.. just wasted time and wasting time. If I continue like this I will go mad one day.
    Any moment I want to quit job, but home loan, house expenses, kids schooling etc are dragging me to job …just going with frustrated and dissatisfied..
    I don’t know what to do after job, I like doing business but got fear these years.. I feel I need big lift,,now I am slowly moving towards hyper tension & depression,…

    1. Truly speaking , cant comment much . taking a bold decision is the only way

  27. Ranjan says:

    Dear Manish,

    My Story is-

    My dreams are world tour, one house in a metro city, one Audi car and a stable business in life.

    I have not a big degree in my education. I am a graduate and I have done hardware&Networking . I was doing a job in 2011 to 2013, my salary was Rs 10,000 only. After doing 2 years of job I think that I will be continue than I never achieve my dreams. So that I was planned for a business with my friend, than we started a call ce BPO and run it for 6 month, everything was good in first 3 months , but after that we have some problem like employees and some of foreign transactions are blocked and we cant get any money, unfortunately I have to shutdown my BPO. Now I am at my home since 1 month and in very tens. I am unable to decide what I will do, my friend is settled in his family business. Now I am at my home and its in a interior area its a mining belt polluted area, after living in metro city I am very uncomfortable to stay and start any businesses here like transportation or automobile part shop or running any commercial vehicles in mining. If I go out to Bangalore and do a job then I have not the degree to get a large scale salary or start a business there. I have a little family having father mother and a sister. So please suggest me what is good to do for me. Should I stay here or do anything here or go Bangalore. I am 25 years old now. Please suggest what is good as per you.

  28. shoukath says:

    I completed my Master degree in computer science 2014 while studying I started my business as part time learnt the basic stuffs to start a business in 1 years and then joined a company and worked for 1 year again learnt few more things Now I’m a CEO of a company I do Websites, Laptop services, Computer services, Training, and I sell Laptop and Mobile accessories online. I make decent money start up itself. I suggest you all don’t stick with your job just learn the stuff start your own do hard work have patient you will be succeed.

    1. Hey shoukath

      Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us. It was a great learning.

      Manish

  29. abhijit kulkarni says:

    How you changed the domain. Even I am from Software. I want to get rid of this job,.But how to change the domain? Even I like finances, but what should be done to get career out of it. Its an old article but still hoping for your reply.

    1. Hi Abhijit

      I started this blog when I was into my job, worked day and night on it and there was one point when I could just move on .. it was not as easy as it sounds , but with focus , something can be done !

      1. abhijit kulkarni says:

        Its truly inspiring.

  30. Yogesh says:

    Yes, I’m quite interested and want to take it up very seriously. Infact i’ve been handling some portfolio’s of my family members and have been advising them on different products. How can i be a part of this Network FP Conference, please advise, so that I can attend it and get some idea on CFP as a career .

    Thanks.

    1. You can visit http://networkfp.com/ and register your self

  31. Yogesh says:

    Hi Manish,

    Nice and very inspiring article. I’m myself having great interest and passion towards finance and capital markets. I’ve changed few jobs and verticals in my entire career span of more than 8 years and still thinking to get onto something which i can enjoy working with, like you did.

    I’m actually starting to take up CFP as a career and then pursue in the Financial Planning vertical, but not sure of managing the financials at the backend.

    Regards,
    Yogesh.

    1. Great .. you should explore more of this .. but make sure you do it slowly and parallely ..

      You should try attended something called “NetworkFP Conference” Happening soon in Mumbai if you are too keen on CFP and financial planning . Let me know if you are more interested on this

      Manish

  32. Mohit Aggarwal says:

    I am currently working in a MNC for past 5 months and accidentally caught in the ‘Web analytics’ field which i really don’t like. Prior to joining this organization i am having around 7 years of experience in ‘Digital Marketing’ with good stability which i like most and want to switch in this field again. But my colleagues are saying that quitting the jon from an MNC < 1 year will be like committing suicide.
    I am in extremely frustrated condition and want to make some decision. Please advise me what to do in this case

    1. Hi Mohit

      All you need is “courage” to just go back and take digital marketing .. You will have to sacrifice on salary or position ! .. if you can take it, you are already there !

      Manish

  33. Priya says:

    Excellent article Manish!!

    Its so motivating. I feel i read it in correct time.

  34. Anjan says:

    Extremely inspirational article and could very well be a life changer for many. Most people have such dreams and just need someone to tell them that their dreams can be turned into reality. Usually those close to us will never encourage us to follow our dreams.

    Like you were once, I too am currently stuck in an IT job. Been at it for a year only, everything is great starting from friendly and helpful colleagues & superiors to good & comfy work environment. I see the package earned by people with barely 4-5 years of experience and I realize the future prospects are amazing which makes it all the more difficult to leave a job like this. I am also lucky enough to get development work which means there is more than enough challenge.

    But everyday I go to work, I feel there is a void somewhere. I feel like being someone else’s slave, like there’s no true freedom when you’re in a job like this. On paper its a 9 to 5 job but in reality its more like 9 to 9 without any extra pay. No real appreciation from client for the amount of effort put in. Life has turned into basically working all day long and only coming home late at night to sleep.

    Moreover, there is no consideration for a person’s well-being in an IT job. Even you are sick, many times you are forced to come to office because of commitment to client. Providing support from home is another expectation. Even if you are on vacation, people from office will keep calling and bugging you. This is certainly not the life I envisioned and know for a fact, no matter how high the salary, its certainly not worth being a bonded labor to someone. Better to be poor and be your own master I say.

    Anyway, I have a few ideas of my own and at this stage I am working on building that buffer that you have talked about in your article. Once again, thanks for the inspiration article.

    1. Thanks for sharing your views .. I agree that more and more laws should be there to protect the employees !

  35. satish says:

    Excellent Article & audio clip , i was able correlate with each line ………………….. Fan of JI & u Manish.
    I just have one Question,to become a FP , do we need a to pass the CFP Exam ( how people will trust/belive us) , whats the GURU Mantra ?

    1. No Satish

      TO become a FInancial Planner you first need to love that work 🙂 . CFP Is just a certification

    1. Just read it . Very interesting and authentic ! . I am sure more and more number of people should read it !

  36. Sivakumar says:

    Dear Manish,

    I am almost there…..thanks for all your encouraging articles and your are a great inspiration for me. I am indeed quoting you in one of my books that will be published soon. Will keep you updated on that shortly.

    – Siva

    1. Thanks for the honour Siva 🙂

  37. b srinivas says:

    dear manish
    a great story has inspired me
    i am aged 44 years a mech enn graduate with mba in finance.i am working as gm comml in big carporate company getting a handsome package.in india now a days the carporate world there is no personal respect and internal feights and insults are common.we have reached a big salary and there is no option for changes and becomming shameless number of times and pulling.
    i am having the financial stability for 5 years and having a passion of training and teaching and counciling.
    your story inspired me and i will plan for the same
    working parallely is difficult as we are working 11 hrs a day but will try and plan to quit with in a year.only thing i have balance my mind after quit the job and concentrate for future work with passion.pl tell me any article for having more confidence.
    i wish to continue my friendship with you
    regds

    srinivas

    1. Great .. really inspired by your plans ! . keep going

  38. pinku says:

    Touchwood Article..Truly Inspiring Manish 😉

    I worked in one of the top tier Software MNC as a developer for past 3 years ..but quited my job last month because of some nasty politics and favor-ism at work .

    I have passion in writing , blogging & have been recognized quite a times for the same .. but due to family commitments & risk factor involved i am confused about the career prospects in it & taking it up seriously

    I have plans of pursuing MBA next year too ..as i find software field is not my cup of tea but at the point of time i am mentally unstable being trapped in a tough situation without job .

    Please Suggest something !!
    Regards,
    Pinku

    1. Pinku

      It will not be correct for me to just say that you should jump in your own business. For me it was a different situation , for you its different . I can see that you need to have a proper backup plan too . Unless you already have some base in blogging or the other business, better not quit .

      Manish

    2. b srinivas says:

      dear pinku
      i can understand your pain and getting frustrated for politics in office
      if you leave the job wth out planning and fin sytbility your frustration will be more and your family members will be youe first enemys
      some times in the life we have to become shame less and helpless
      kindly let down your emotions and work some time and plan for econamic stability and then do some advanture
      then you get success

  39. Swaroop Kumar says:

    Hi Manish,

    Have been following your blogs for quite some time. I generaly come to your blog in search of reading something new or interesting in personal finance in free time and i am never dissappointed. Was just going through the archinves and landed here. Must say, your story is very inspiring. Keep up the good work. We all are thankful to you for making this amazing piece of knowledge available to us free of cost 🙂 .

    Swaroop

  40. rajan says:

    i have done engg in elec and comm 2 yrs back
    then i opted for mba in finance and marketing
    i did mba from top institute of my city but not the top in the country
    i preferred in my city as i m running business of footwear raw material in my city with my dad
    till the last year the surplus that i generated from business was nearly 50000 a month but due to slag in footwear industry because of readymade F/W the surplus has gone down to 30000 a month
    i have some fixed revenue generating assets generating about 30000pm
    now i m preparing for ssc inspector post
    my mba was completed 8 months back but didnot opted for job as all options were sales job
    now i m planning for disposable syringe plant cost of plant would be nearly 30lacs
    concerning to my condition should i go for a job (30000) vs bank po vs ssc vs own business vs a new plant vs phd higher studies age 24 yrs
    plz suggest

    1. this is not an easy thing to suggest. Each of these have their own positives and negative . Job will give you stability for some time, but over the long term , business can give you exponential growth . So depending on your risk appetite you have to choose it

  41. Amit says:

    Hi Manish,
    really liked this article written by you. Well i also have the same interest as yours and like you I am working in a totally different field. Can you tell me did you do any specific course/degree before starting your own blog and helping people out on financial planning. I also want to pursue something similar in this field however I do not have finance background. Any inputs from you will be highly appreciated.

    1. No Amit

      I did not do any thing professionally, It was all out of passion only

  42. Ankit Chaubey says:

    I work in a software MNC as a developer.
    Apart from that, i have my own business which is generating good income for me. Business is my Dream but Job is the money making machine to make this Dream a success.

    Is it against law ? The firm is registered with my name so will it be an issue when I pay income tax from my job and also business?

    So, My question is what legal problems i could face if i continue to work on my business along with this full time job???

    My business and job both are related to some software work but in different domains. I know i could get fired but what else they could do????

    Note: I’m not planning to steal their trade secret. I’ll do the job with my full faith & just want to keep doing my business in part time.

    Thank you. Please answer this question it’s very important for me.

    1. Ankit

      THere is no legal issues where .. you can own any number of business and do anything .. Coming to your job, at times companies have requirement that one should not get into any other business activity after getting into the job , but if you are already running the business before the job, then they cant stop you . Didnt they ask you about this before you joined the job, they must have asked you this question that – “Are you involved in any other business or job” , Not sure if they asked you this or not .

      Anyways . I think you can just continue what you are doing , just that lets things run without showing off it to others . Also if you can add your spouse of some trusted person as co-partner, it might help you in future to explain things to others if required 🙂

      1. ankit says:

        Thanx for your prompt reply..

      2. Anjan says:

        I still don’t understand why some companies forbid you to open your own business or join some other job while working for them. As a citizen living in a free country, isn’t it my right to hold as many jobs as I want? In other countries like USA, many people hold 2 or 3 jobs to maximize their income.

        I think employers in India have this requirement of single job so that they can exploit you to the max. Like they will say office hours are from 9 to 5 while recruiting but inevitably they will force you to work till 9 or 10 at night. This most likely does not happen in developed countries as labor laws are there are to protect employees and strict working hours are maintained. Its unfortunate we Indians have to face these issues.

        I thought about joining a part time job at a retail outlet on weekends for some side income but even that was made impossible by the company I work for as they often ask me to come for work on weekends and that too without extra pay. Seriously, there ought to be some laws against this kind of exploitation in India.

  43. Rishi says:

    Very inspirational story. A jump from job to creating venture is nerve-wrecking experience. I am not able to stop myself adding my own bit of entrepreneurship adventure. From the first day of my job career in journalism (2004), I was unhappy. But I was running the show with only 2 objectives in mind: 1. let me learn 3 media – internet, TV and print; 2 after that I will plunge into entrepreneurship. with job-hopping, in 6 years I had worked in all these media. My last job at Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi, gave me “importance” of finance. One day my boss said, said, “If you wish to earn money…you can do…people have earned money… selling ‘dust'”.
    What I lacked at that moment of time was “COURAGE” and “MONEY”. I have burned my salary giving away to Delhi autowallahs:) At last I took the call and listened to my heart and started doing business. 3 years have passed. I am self independent with my wife. Though practically I have not made money. But I am happy that I took a new path less trodden by. I am into online bookretailing.

    1. Good to hear that Rishi

      You have not made money till now (3 yrs) , but what matters is what is the worth of the step you have taken , what will matter at the end is what you have achieved in next 10-20 yrs . May be in next 3 yrs , you get a lot of money who knows . At the end , you wake up wanting to do what you are doing . You are not a dead body, cheer for that 🙂

      Manish

  44. ujjwal says:

    your story will be complete if you have written or give some idea how much salary you were getting in Yahoo and how much you are earning now..

    1. Ujjwal

      I was making 5.5 lacs in Yahoo and I am making more than that now .. however , Money is one of the criteria , not the only criteria .. I think you should see the potential growth and satisfaction overall .

  45. gkchetty says:

    i have about 70 laks in savings and i have a daugher who is just 11 to bring up. I have no other liabilities righ now. I have many dreams, all involving working individually towards creative artistic pursuits. I have job that pays me a whopping salary, but everyday I have to literally DRAG myselt into work and I feel horrible at work. Is the money I have enough to live the rest of my life if I live within my means and follow my passion? In 3-5 years i amy ear 30-40 k per month thru my passion nothing more. but i will be happy and peaceful doing what i love…

    1. Let me give you some numbers ..

      If you put that 70 lacs in a FD earning 8% each year then you can withdraw 25,000 per month inflation linked income for next 30 yrs . Which means that first year you withdraw 25k per month , then next year you increase your withdrawals by 6% (inflation assumed) and then next year you again increase it by 6% … this way you can survive for 30 yrs and at the end of the period your 70 lacs will finish.

      Now if you are sure you can generate 30k per month income by doing what you love, then I would say why not do it . Given your income of 30k + FD income , you will make close to 50-55k per month .

      1. M.A.ZOKANDE says:

        I AM FULLY AGREE WITH VIEWS OF MR. MANISH CHAUHAN.

  46. ANAND says:

    Hi

    Manish

    Thanks for your reply. Accidentally I got in to your website. You are doing a good job of educating the people. It is not where we invest our hard earned money, it is the emotional transition while doing so which makes the difference. Each one of us will be comfortable in our own way of investing and I am of the opinion that it is the responsibility of elders to teach the importance of teaching the kids with respect the real meaning of Assets and Liabilities. To a large extent I acknowledge the lessons learnt from Robert Kiyosaki”s book – RICH DAD POOR DAD. Wish I had learnt the art of disciplined approach at a young age but no regrets, better late than never. When I see people struggling even at the age of 58 to 60 yrs to meet their deadly EMI and other debt committments, I must be greatful to God that I never made any mistake of borrowing for unnecessary things in life. I have the adequate real estate, liquid assets which are only appreciating and no liabilities attached to them. I have bought everything in cash instead of stupid EMI. Travel was my passion but could not afford due to money problems. Today i have travelled to my fullest satisfaction abroad as well as within the country.

    1. Thats great to know .. your overall story is inspiring . I am thinking of doing a post on how some people took difficult path and succeeded . I want to feature yours also in that, will do it later 🙂

  47. ANAND says:

    hi. Just wanted to share my story. The automobile industry recession in 1997-1998, forced me to think about starting my own consulting organisation. Even after putting a lot of effort ( I am a typical Manufacturing Engineer ), results were pathetic due to market conditions. Everyday at the plant was frustrating. This situation in fact was a blessing in disguise because i started reviewing my own other strengths. I had tried my hands in Training and started looking at small assignments on weekends in small organisations where they could not afford big time Consultants. It was struggling initially because most of the times the assignments were honourary and no payments. But these small assignments gave me an opportunity to hone my skills and get more confidence. Two months later one fine day I just said bye to my regular job. My wife was earning a small income, and i had two school going kids to support. However it was only the passion which was driving me and today, it is left to me as to what assignments I take or not. Me and my Wife have been conservatives and lived on just needs than wants for nearly 7 years. Today I need not look back. My wife stopped working after 2 years of my plunge into the business. I feel the struggle, emotional stress due to uncertainities, peer pressure was all worth taking. Today I encourage my children to earn while they learn and start investing through SIP at a very early age of 19 and 21 years. The are very happy to see their own financial strength compared to others in their circle they have become role models for them. My opinion is if a person is desirous of doing something on his own, he should do it irrespective of peer pressure and ensure that there are no stupid EMI or liabillities

    1. Anand

      Thats a great story and sharing from your side, As I have done pretty much same thing what you did, I can truely understand what you went through . great learnings !

    2. Niting says:

      Hi Ananad,

      Hats off . Gr8

    1. Great ! . thanks for the link !

  48. Sunil says:

    Dear Manish,

    For starting up of my bussiness opening a blog/website is a must.
    May i request you to please let me know the processes and charges for taking up a Blog/website (which is better).

    Also, do i need to be from coding backgroud to maintain and renovate my blog or would the service providers do it for me. I am completely new in this area.

    Hope to get a comprehensive help.

    Will share the ideas over here once i keep all things in place

    Thanks in Advance,
    Sunil.

    1. Sunil

      While this topic is not related to this blog . I can tell you that you dont need to be of technical background to maintain and run a blog , however it would be an added advantage if you know , because at some point of time , you need to learn few things which is totally possible 🙂

      Also blog and website , both words are different , but I would suggest a blog (which keeps updating) .

  49. Sunil says:

    Dear Manish,

    All these days, i was planning planning and planning for the venture that i should start …
    It comprises of two things…

    1. Your Interest in it
    2. The Present market prespective for your interested field.

    In my case i am more inclided to Technical Analysis of stocks … there are few Thousands of them currently doing the job… and me venturing into that would be a fight with sharks…. Though it might lure me into its trap but still i gave up this plan. However, i shall do that for my personal interest.

    Now the second one, where the future lies in… i have cornered few areas where in there is huge market coming up in future…. and a very few people still exists in that bussiness. Its not about manufacturing but about retailing.

    The main concern is how do i find like minded people who knows how to start up and can guide you. Do you have any websites for helping out people or investors to take up such ventures. I shall mention that this is a simple retailing of a bussiness already in place and nothing from my head, so i might be turned down by people who invest in ideas…. but there may be like minded people who have started bussiness by idea sharing on how to start where to get the inventor etc etc.

    To elaborate if i shall say i need to open a Ferns and Petals store (renowned flower shop) i can visit their site but its just how i get to know about them. But in my case i want to find out people who will guide you or even let you know such a bussiness exists.

    Hope you have got my point.

    I would be thankful if you can/any one having knowledge can guide me into that.

    Regards,
    Sunil.

    1. Sunil

      Right now there is not a good place to get in touch with like minded people . Dont you have any one in your circle of friends or office who share the same kind of thinking and passion !

  50. Mohit says:

    hi manish

    same thing is happening to me. I mean i have no intrest in my current profile. I am an embedded design engineer(Firmware) but my present employer is not give me any kindda work. this is happenning from last 5 months n m feeling very bored. I just go office n come back. I need ur openion that should i quit or remain here because i had changed 5 month back second i can not search new job they had warned me because they had seen my profile on main job websites. I wanna do bussniess of Embedded products but not have full knowledge of marked. Please help me out

    1. Mohit

      There is no customized solution for your case, its just like all others and in your case also you need to take those 8 tips I mentioned

  51. Kamal P says:

    Nice article Manish!
    Great topic, a lot of people want to quit their jobs and their financial situation is a prime matter of concern. I think a follow up article on the options/way to plan the finances in this situation will help a lot.
    I mean stuff like going for health insurance since there will be no company insurance after quitting, and may be where to put the buffer money to get maximum out of it but with no/less risk & high liquidity etc.
    Thanks again!

    1. Thats a good point , lets see when I plan a sequal !

  52. Dharmesh Chitaliya says:

    Hi manish,
    Its really good article and I am one of those who really want to switch over from Techies to Tycoon. I plan to start new website….commercial website but I don’t know what is the legal aspect which I have to look for.If you know any webpage or link where I can get all this legal information than I very glad to you.
    And really
    I want to tell you one thing that you are the mentor of thousand or more than that.
    Thanks in advance.
    Regards, Dharmesh Chitaliya

  53. Praveen Thange says:

    Hi Manish,

    Story touched me as it’s the same as mine. The only difference is the company. I was in TCS and my thoughts were the same. But I don’t have much experience as yours, I quit and started my own Software Company in Pune and I am also enjoying my work. When I was in the company I used to spend most of the time on reading jagoinvestors article and also some other blogs. There was money(money for no work i can say, as you would be knowing about the govt. company(as people call it :D)) but it was frustrating political job. Finance articles helped me a lot in taking decisions.
    The biggest fear in IT people is “how will i pay my depts if i leave the job?”
    “Here you are birds in a Golden Cage”(that was my sametime status quote ;p) is the perfect statement for the sucking job.

    It’s a great article I would say as it would definitely inspire people to do what they love.

    Thanks,
    Praveen T

    1. Good to hear that Praveen .. Your story is also inspiring 🙂 . Its not easy to quit your job and take the plunge !

  54. SAJITH says:

    Excellent Article, got to see this site only yesterday, and know what , i am in this site the whole day !! Really loved the site, and especially this article !! Like you, i have a burning desire in my mind to quit my present job and do my own business !! But i know there is a big difference in being ambitious in words, and being ambitious in deeds !! I am sure that i can’t put aside atleast 1 year’s income as buffer, but i will make that i start my own business by early 2013 🙂

    Once again thanks for the wonderful site, i would rather call this site financialqueriessolved.com 🙂

    1. Thanks for the praising words Sajith ! .. glad to know you liked it , better start your actions now 1 ..

  55. Bhavik says:

    Will add another quote to it

    “A mind that is fast is sick. A mind that is slow is sound. A mind that is still is divine.” He adds, “Creation is a divine process. So a good entrepreneur is essentially trying to play GOD. It’s important to find ways to slow down and be still.”

  56. Anurag Nagori says:

    Thanks a lot Manish, the best takeaway for me is to convert dreams in project. I have started working on same in this approach.

    Thanks again.. 🙂 🙂

    1. Glad to hear that .. wont you like to give us some insights on your next venture 🙂 .. on a high level !

  57. Krishna Verma says:

    I wanted to know your opinion regarding how to move further from self employment. I mean when a person has to manage all the aspects on his own, it gets very hectic for him. Especially when he starts doing well and then more customers come, the workload increases a lot.

    1. Yes … I would recommend getting a partner and have lot of dependence on automated process. it really depends which kind of business are you in ?

  58. Jacob says:

    Hi,
    Can you tell me are there any legal issues involved in starting your venture and earning from it whilst you were working in Yahoo. I guess there are certain employer restrictions which restrict you from holding certain positions and or earning from it.

    Thanks,
    Jacob

    1. Jacob

      In my case it was a “blog” . you can always write your views about something even when you are employed . but if you are starting some proper business in your name , then it can be an issue . but you can always start something on other name to start with

  59. Anubhav Kapoor says:

    Hey Manish,

    A very nice article indeed.I had been planning & striving hard to achieve my Second income. This article came at the right time for me.

    1. Good to hear that it helped you , can you share how are you planning for your second income ?

  60. Krishna Verma says:

    Hi Manish,
    I am really amazed after reading this post. I thought that you must be a CA by profession or something related to commerce background. The website contains really informative articles and it is hard to believe that a Software programmer has penned it down. I hope this blog keeps marching at full pace.

    I would like to ask you about your opinion on self-employment.

    1. Krishna

      Thanks for your appreciation , what do you want to know about self employment , I have already put my thoughts in the article

  61. Aparna says:

    Hi…

    Am not able to find the audio…
    I get a message saying: Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. Please update your browser to view this media content.

    which unfortunately, I can’t…
    Is there a transcript available.

    I have been running upstream in my career it would seem- Sales- Solution Architect- Project Delivery and am at this time, so out of sync that nothing I do seems to help me get interested in what I am doing! And to top it all, I don’t know what I should be doing to 1. either get out of this state, 2. or do something else. My interests are very varied- each of them requires further qualification or a totally different qualification from what I have to get started!

    I have approx. 2 years in which I can fiddle around, after that I will be stuck!

    Any help pointing in the right direction would be welcome…

    Thanks

    1. Aparna

      Which brower are you using ?

      Also regarding your condition at job , is there anything else you can do or you like to do ?

  62. Adi says:

    Nice Article Manish.

    I am working as a software engineer in Bangalore. I think most of the ppl works only for money. Starting something own is just in talks, Ppl are too lasy to do this.

    90% of ppl just hate their job, Criticize their company but they never miss a single day to office.

    1. Haha .. thanks for your comment

  63. sunil says:

    Thanks a lot Manish for considering my query and having brought up an article on it.
    I find the content very useful and i have already started working on the blue Print.

    I had some problems opening jagoinvestor at office and hence got late in writing a comment.

    Once again, i whole heartedly thank you for showing light.

    1. Welcome Sunil . Thanks for the idea 🙂

      1. sunil says:

        Looking forward for ideas…
        This site has never let me down…
        Hope it helps me to grow up the ladder my way ;).

        Thanks for all the views.

      2. sunil says:

        Dear manish, i could not see the video after clicking the link menitoned. It just guided me to a site where in i was asked to enter some details.
        Manish, could you please give the link so that i can as well view the video.

        1. Which video are you talking about ? There is just one audio in the article , and its accessible to all . which website it is taking you too ? Can you try running the audio in chrome ?

  64. Deivasigamani says:

    Manish

    Thanks for this article…a nice read!

    //Deiva

  65. Suresh K Narula says:

    I have already been walking on this track to get into my CFP practice. And your story is corroborating me to march ahead bravely. As you narrated that you were spending 80% time at office towards Jagoinvestor (10% time went for lunch). Likewise, I am also spending 80% time at office towards my financial planning practice. Fortunetly, my employer has also given low burden on my shoulder and I am taking the full advantage for it. In that stage, now I am not expecting my promotion and increment and get ready for taking more responisbilty from my employer.

    Indeed thanks to you for sharing your inspring story.

    1. Thats great Suresh . Thats the way to go , It will be a smooth transition . Make sure you create a big buffer !

  66. Vinu says:

    Manish – I have been working in the IT industry for the past 13 years and i am at the cross roads where i feel bored of doing the same things over and over again both technically and managing. Although my job pays me well i am getting increasingly disinterested in my job. I have put together a 5 year plan within which time i will quit my full time job. I will have some rental income and i am in the process of starting to take tuitions for 9th and 10th grades as a side income and after 5 years do it full time. For me freedom to do what i love to do is more important that being rich and famous.
    I have been a regular follower of your blog and this article has been quite inspiring to people like me who are planning for an early financial freedom.

    Thanks
    V

    1. Good to hear that Vinu .. I would just say , be on your path which you have defined for yourself 🙂 . good luck !

  67. Suresh says:

    Hi Manish,
    Wow!!! Same thinking as yours…But jumped a little earlier into my passion and wiped out my entire savings..back to job at half the salary after two years…But the good thing is my mind is still saying ” I will come back and do it for myself”..maybe after one year or till such time i create “buffer amount”..Follow your dreams is what i could take away from you writeup…Keep writing such nice articles..BTW your dreams vs projects video is awesome…

    Suresh

    1. Thanks Suresh..

      Glad to know that you “tried” at least ! ..

  68. Sim says:

    Agree with you, two most important points are parallel income and double income.
    Also, do not forget you have only one life, must explore. Save yourself from those in your life who say “we already said so”, as they will never give you a solution but will keep reminding you about the problem.
    For parallel income and double income must try http://www.parpasservices.com. They provide portfolio management services into derivative segment (F&O). When i was regretting my decision of quitting my job Parpas helped me with my financial (most important expect).

    1. Thanks for your appreciation and comment on this issue !

  69. sainath says:

    Can you also upload the survey results work experience wise- for instance what would be the answers to all the questions for people having 3-5 yrs of experience. I think that would be more useful. Thanks

    1. Wont be able to upload the full results , May be I can share some specific question you have about some specific group ?

  70. Santanu says:

    You are a champ manish. Can’t imagine the brave step you have taken on working in YAHOO… I am sure 99.99% people can’t do that….

    All the very best for your future. Our country need people like you…Keep it up.

    I blog @ Mera Bharat Bhraman

    1. Thanks for appreciation Santanu !

  71. commander ss thind says:

    many thanks manish
    art is quite relevant and apt especially in case of pension holders.
    after having served at good positions it is quite difficult to adjust to new things at 40 plus age.we are lucky bcos pension comes in quite a handy and if ur parents have made a home also for u it is right to take a plunge in something u love and are good at.
    looking fwd for such brilliant articles

    1. Yes , agree with you , if home is already there, its worth taking the risk of starting something on your own !

  72. Sainath says:

    Hi Manish

    Can you pls share results of all the answers for people having 3-5 years-for that matter for all categories of -work experience That would be more useful.

    1. What data you exactly want , I might find out that and share with you

  73. Hi Manish,
    May be I could add some points to ur blog
    3 months back, I too left my frustrated job ( indeed a well paying one) with a desire to have something on my own. Believe me till my last day in office i didn’t have any idea what i wanted to do. My manger was ready to pay me hike of 40%,
    My coach just said to me ‘Jump in’ to world of Entrepreneurship’.
    Then i decided why don’t I train people into what i was doing I opted for being a Freelancer trainer.
    1. In first 2 months (june,Jul 12) of working as a Freelancer i earned 30% more than my monthly salary.. then I went into a relaxing and lazy zone with a conversation of mine . Now i will get regular work’. due to which i earned 50% of monthly salary
    so my learning in business is ‘one needs to be on his/her shoes every single day’ . . U cant relax and sit idle after ur first success in business. One needs to create clients on regular basis

    2. Now i know the importance of Rs10. I read it somewhere that INFY/TCS are hiring failed Entrepreneurs coz they know how to reduce costs. Now i can understand the meaning ‘how to reduce costs’. I explore 10-12 option before buying any product sometimes buy 2nd hand furniture from a office which just closed its operations… :):)..

    3. To genrate some regular income. i did some FD in banks and opted for monthly interest. Bank representative really pushed me not to opt for monthly interest by saying Rate of interest is bit low if u opt Monthly interest option. This option is for old people who don’t have regular income but i was clear i wanted Monthly interest to generate a flow of Monthly income which will keep my mind at peace .I get monthly interest of 5000 thru FD’s . I’m single ,live in my house with not much liabilities and I believe monthly interest of 5000 is ok for my Mental peace even if i don’t earn anything for 3-4 months.
    Warren Buffet saying worked for me. ‘always create ur second income’.
    4.one needs to have a mentor. At starting i took some decisions only to create Money with no long term relationship building I provided good customer service but didn’t thought this client can give me regular work. Now before taking any decision I consult with my mentor/Coach.
    5. Create some entry barrier/ filter of things you don’t want to do and start saying NO to people – when i started my freelancing work i told lot of people that i’m looking for some b-ideas if u have any share so we can discuss them. some people called me to discuss there ‘Network Marketing Plans’ i used to be frustrated by this. but now i’ve develop a habit when ever someone calls me to discuss some idea .i asked them the idea is not about network Marketing na if it is please don’t waste ur and my time . I’m not interested in doing this.

    On teachers Day one of my students sms me ‘Happy teacher’s Day sir . You are the best trainer I’ve ever got you help us in every possible way. thanks a lot for everything’ I was fulfilled and satisfied after reading this SMS….
    Last week I met my previous company Manager. he asked me do u want to come back ? I just shared d above SMS with him and told him I’m happy and satisfied with my work.
    well in last 3 months i’ve explored some 5-6 business ideas and I’ve research on some and some are just ideas.
    Manish Chauhan -I believe we can get on a call to discuss them so u can share ideas with u so that u can create a post on them.

    I would like to share. there is a non profit global organization TIE(the indus entrepreneurs) which support entrepreneurs by doing mentoring, feasibilty study, also creates funding if idea and revenue model is good.

    Regards
    Manish awasthi

    1. Great to hear your story and idea’s . Its very inspiring . I am sure many people would love to read and get some motivation out of it 🙂 .

    2. sunil says:

      Wonderful Manish Ji,

      I love people who really come up with their real life experiences. This not only motivates people like me but boosts the morale when ever we feel low on our ideas.

      I would be eagerly waiting for Manish and You to consolidate on the ideas and bring them for everyone’s use and growing.

      Once again thanks for your wonderful post.

      Regards,
      Sunil Ramidi.

      1. Sunil

        We have not got much idea’s from users , you can look at their comments section as of now

    3. MANISH SANGAL says:

      Hi, Do you have web site for TIE?

  74. sumeet bansal says:

    Dreams vs Project……Really inspiring & helpful…..Thank you

    1. THanks Sumeet . Glad to hear your appreciation !

  75. Sridhar says:

    Thanks Manish for sharing interesting articles on entrepreneurship. Most people are jittery of quitting their job to pursue a business, passion, or any interests they have. Ofcourse I would think its wise for people who are doing well in jobs or find it very interesting to stay on. But even these people might reach a saturation or maturity at some point and may want to do something different of their own….be it doing a small business, a website, blog, own band, software app, boutique shop, etc.
    The options are becoming wider and plenty of avenues are opening up as the Indian economy grows.

    I found the point on ‘home loan liability’ or EMIs quite interesting. I feel this can also be overcome if people go for reasonably affordable homes with affordable EMIs. (of course in reality affordable homes are few and nonexistant). However, buying a home worth more than 40-50 lakhs can put middle class people in EMI debt forever. Instead cutting your expectations to 30-35 lakh level can provide you the room for managing your EMIS and help you fund other priorities such as education, investments, retirement planning, etc.

    Suggestion: Is it possible for you to create a section where people can share or talk about business ideas and also connect with different people – investors, partners, consultants, experts, writers, etc. This will provide people in 9-5 jobs a place to get some hands on experience in doing background research on the business idea and also build it using the right connections. Just a thought, which I though you may want to consider. Have a nice day!

    1. Thanks for that idea Sridhar . I will consider it and that would be a good addition 🙂 . Also thanks for your views on the topic 🙂

      1. Sridhar says:

        Hi Manish,
        Thanks for considering my idea.
        A start-up forum that I found interesting was http://therodinhoods.com
        Check it when you get time. This can be a wonderful platform for people to share ideas, discuss, debate and also network with others. Have a nice day -:)

        1. Yea its a great platform , are you part of it already ?

          1. Sridhar says:

            Hi Manish,
            I’m part of TheRodinhoods already. Its a nice place. I’d recommend you to join as well.
            I thought that you could also create a similar platform or a section within JagoInvestor where this kind of meeting can take place.
            More such platforms will help not only budding entrepreneurs but also investors and people who want to work with startups and startup ideas and build the right connections.

            1. Sure .. will think on this

  76. Sushil says:

    Hi Manish… This was again a nice article….I m in a Govt Job since last 10 years. I also want to quit my job and want to do something of my own… Thinking the same thing from last 6 years….but could not take the daring step…..People generally prefer Govt Jobs but i think that my potential has been restricted here becuase here i have no authority to do any decision on my own….Initially i wanted to started my evening newspaper but my family opposed this decision.. Still after 10 years i m thinking of some lucrative business but at this stage i dont have dare to take this bold step….Even financially i have more liabilities now….still one day i hope i will start…

    1. Sushil

      Truely speaking , the perfect moment will never come , there will be no day when you will feel – “Now, everything is perfect, lets leave job” . You really need to create a project for it , and take some major , disturbing steps !

      Manish

      1. Sushil says:

        Manish…Yes you are right that day will never come when everything will b perfect….by the way i m in Telecom Engineering having good knowledge of Telecom, IT and related sector. Can u suggest some low investment venture in this field?

        1. I cant suggest anything like that, its very personal thing , you better think about it

  77. Sivakumar says:

    Dear Manish,

    Excellent article and nice flow of thoughts.

    Here is a post that I made when I made a great transition from Engineering job to HR career. http://www.anbusivam.com/2010/11/how-to-do-what-you-love-to-do/

    And this article has come in the right time, when I am seriously thinking about my next step. I’ll update you soon.

    Thanks,
    Siva

    1. I have read that article , its great ! .. Update us about your plans !

  78. mathai says:

    dear manish,

    I have born and bought up in a rural village and have agri land in my native , How ever since last 17 years am in a upcoming metro city and doing a job in senior position in a large company with a good salary package,. but every year job satisfaction level and growth is reducing, am 37 yrs old have two small kids and wife. Agri and diary farming is my passion, now am seriously thinking to quit the job and go back to rural/my native to indulge in my passionate activity which I think can generate income, a deep routed culture to my kids, and over all a peaceful life my own

    . I can have corpus of aprx 50 lacs after the initial starting cost of diary farm.

    my question how do you evaluate about my plan?

    I expect aprx Rs 50k per month required for a comfortable maintenance of my family. is it possible to generate such a steady income from my corpus.
    income from my venture not to be consider for at least 1-2years and same will be used for re investment only or hedge against the investment done.

    have collected information and made project reports about the venture. but still fear after spending 17 yrs urban life and in a senior post in corporate, whether my dreams to settle for passionate activity will be foolishness, or non realistic…etc.

    hope you inputs can be helpful to clear the deliam.

    rgds
    ravi mathai

    1. Ravi

      You can generate 50k per month with 10% return for next 14 yr without considering inflation and with inflation of 6% , you can only go for next 9 yrs .

      1. ravi matthai says:

        what does it mean exactly? after 9 yrs or 6 yrs corpuse to be treated as nil???

        1. Yes . Try to do it yourself once in an excel sheet ! . .with 50l lacs at 10% , see how much you will be having if expenses also increase by 6%

  79. Venkat ram says:

    Hi Manish,

    Awesome article, this shows how a book can motivate a true aspirant.
    By reading your article by article, I became fan! of you. Cant stop my self appreciating you for each article u r writing.

    The path you have choosen not only creating wealth for you but also creating awareness for everyone who want to know in and out in personal finance (its like a Guru!).

    I want to add one more line for one who want to start a business, that, Choose a field which you can not live without, then success rate will definetly increase. Dont follow herd, as there is dissatisfaction in your current profession / Job and its time for you to start your own business. Choose the one which you love the most and gain good amount of knowledge in that field and work on it as suggestions given by manish. Then no one can stop u r success.

    What do u say Manish..

    Venkata Ram

    1. Thanks venkat 🙂

      I agree with you that a person has to choose something which you enjoy working on , there is no points leaving A and moving to B , if you dont love it .

  80. prashant says:

    thanks Manish for sharing ur experience with us.

    all the best,
    Prashant

    1. Great to hear that 🙂

  81. Krish says:

    Nice article. During IT boom of Y2K time, I had faced tremendous pressure from family & friends to quit my core engineering job. While I have an excellent academics and working with experienced & motivated seniors to provide me wonderful learning tool at job front, I was earning far too less than my class mates & even several years juniors working in IT field. I went through lot of agony moments with sorry looks from my friends during many send offs headed for offshore.

    I felt some how that with everyone opting for IT field, there would be vacuum in core engineering field and people would be rewarded if they prevail for long. My assumption did not go wrong and after 12 years of continuous learning with low pay, I got a wonderful breakthrough. Another 5 yrs passed by and became a head of large manufacturing industry with massive responsibilities and a great pay. We had a alumni meet recently and it was a revelation for me that tortoise has won the race indeed.

    1. Great to hear that Krish.. yes you have won the race and you must be feeling great for that now . You focused on things which matters in real and didnt fall out for instant gratification ! .. Good one !

    2. Gordon says:

      Krish
      i am happy that you got what you really deserved.
      But only thing is “this is not a race or a contest”. The others got what they wanted and you got what you wanted. Different people have different priorities in life .

    3. Sivakumar says:

      Dear Krish,

      Excellent to know that your persistence in Core Engineering has given what you wanted in long term when compared to all these short term bubbles that could burst anytime soon.

      I am doing a research on this topic based on my recent article http://www.anbusivam.com/2012/07/in-search-of-an-engineer/

      I would need your inputs on this. Request you to please connect with me at siva@sivakumarpalaniappan.com

      @ Manish, Request your consent to get in touch with a fellow reader (Krish) for my work.

      Thanks,
      Siva

      Thanks,
      Siva

      1. Shiva

        Thanks for your comment . I have asked Krish for permission that I can share his email with you . I have shared yours email with him and he must have got a email anyways !

        1. Sivakumar says:

          Thanks Manish for your support.

  82. robin shivhare says:

    Dear Manish,

    what should i say you are just awsome great your are allways touch the basic need of any one good artical excellent

    1. Thanks Robin , would you like to share how this article helped you , can you share with us your experience on job !

  83. Guru says:

    Wonderful one Manish. Somehow I feel, there are lot of things of mine is similar to yours. Same software Industry, same fed up with job, same started a blog side by side, same wanted to teach which is my passion, but one difference, want to teach technical stuff in computers… Wish the day I take the plunge comes soon.. Thanks a lot Manish for this inspiring article.

    1. Hey good to hear that .. so now you are on this full time ? What is your revenue model then ?

  84. ravindaran says:

    Hi Manish,

    Nice article and good motivation to everyone 🙂

    Regards,
    Ravindaran S

    1. THanks

      Did you like the audio which was in the article about “Project vs Dream” ?

      1. ravindaran says:

        Yes Manish, it was good.

  85. prakash says:

    I would suggest you to write a few lines / topic
    of the business ideas to start ….

    1. That calls for a seperate Post 🙂 . Will do it

  86. Abhijit says:

    Thanks for another nice article which makes ther reader think……like mant I do also have a dream to venture something into the business however till could not make anything by leaving the permanent source of income my well paying job.

    Venturing something side by side is always seems to be a logical step instead of quitting your job completely.
    You can venture something interesting but can’t jump into it directly leaving the job which is getting bread & butter for you & your family.

    I do think that I should start doing some business in FOOD segment which is interesting as well as the chances of success are very high considering our own family members are managing it & you are there side by side after your job hours. Any business ideas from you & others on this forum are welcome. Consider small scale investment to start with………….

    1. yea thats a good idea to take help of family members , in many cases father/mother or wife might be sitting ideal at home , and engaging them in start makes sense .

  87. Srinivas says:

    Interesting inputs from first hand experience. Informative and useful.

    When i saw the survey on JI, I wanted to respond, but at many places, my answers needed explanation. Hence, i refrained from it.

    My take

    When

    There are two points in a normal working career, where one can think of satrting on his/her own. First, immediatly after starting a career. This can be from o year to about 5-10 years depending on various other conditions. At this point, one is normally free and hot(no pun intended) and in case of a non success, one can go back to the career and get reestablished.

    Second is after about 20 years of service. (Result of mid life crisis??). At this point one may be relatively free of responsibilities, children are settled and one wants to do something different.

    As indicated by one commenter, i also felt that this article was aimed more at the first group. Point is well taken that the situation will be similar but i feel that concerns will be different.

    Which stage is apt, is highly subjective.

    How

    One sad part in my 20 years career is that i was personal finance illiterate for the first 15 or so years. Then i slowly started learning about personal finance and now, i feel i am in a position to actively manage my money/investments. I often think that, had i knew these things 10 years in advance, i could have quit working for money by now. From now on it may takes 5-7 years more for the same.

    I am thinking of retiring and working on my own for a year. I am preparing groud for the same. I am planning passive income at least equal to my current yearly earnings. As per my plan and calculations, i feel that one can reach that level in 10-15 years, with planning and diligent execution, provided one doesnot have big commitments upfront. Those who are interested, can check “Early retirement extreme” on the net. As per me, retirement is a stage where one can stop living for money has al time to pursue what one wants.

    Why

    This is the most important question and to be though of at the beginning of the whole exercise. As per me, one has to have a passion/deep interest in a field or subject. After some years of working, if one is not passionate aout the job, interest starts dwindling and productivity will become casuality. Though it will be known to others slowly, it will be known to self long before. At this point, if one introspects and plans for course correction, working life again will be interesting and enjoyable. Thus it is imperative to have an aim for making the switch.

    Lastly, as this switch is a life changing decision, one needs to take all the time required to plan properly, to avoid regretting afterwords.

    This is from my imagination and thought process and i donot have first hand experince like Manish.

    1. Siddhant says:

      Hey Srinivas,

      Great thoughts, but you do not need to have passive income equal to current earnings to quit the job, you only need to have earnings over & above your Expenses to start over otherwise the target of leaving jobs becomes bigger & bigger

      Just my thoughts…

      1. Yea , thats a good way of looking at it !

    2. Thanks for your detailed views Srinivas. I agree taht the concerns will be different for those who have completd 20+ yrs . How are you planning your passive income ?

      1. Srinivas says:

        Specifics may not be of interest and highly subjective.

        However, i provide them here.

        My major debt is loan on my house. I had cleared off 90% of it already. Planning to payoff the balance by this year end.

        As one commented, and i agree, passive income is not a must, but will help. Personal view on this, My dream is to create a facilty for children to dabble in all things possible. Learning through doing. I am not sure whether that venture will make me any money. Also, to keep dependence minimum, passive income helps.

        Why 5-10 years, By that time my elder son will settle and younger one will be at a rasonable age. This will also help my goal. I can prepare ground in the meanwhile.

        Thus, i think, i will be able to make the switch as planned.

        1. Yes Srinivas

          For every person his own thinking is there , so is yours . best of luck !

  88. Neha says:

    Very nice article. Survey also is good.
    I also want to start something of my own but somehow stuck in between education loan & car loan.

    1. Yea .. Liabilities are really a show stopper, can you prepay it faster ?

  89. Karthikeyan says:

    Manish,

    This article gives me a clear vision. Thanks for the article.

    Thanks
    Regards
    VK

    1. good to hear that !

      Did you like the audio in the article on “Project vs Dream”

  90. Another Farmer says:

    I am working in MNC from last 2.5 years. I want to continue my job for next 5 or 6 years. Then planned to quit my job and start working in some engg college as Asst. Prof. (completed post grad in Comp Science). and parallel do farming. Because I hope will get sufficient time for personal interests in lecturing jobs. For that now I am accumulating money to buy 10 acres of land. So, after quitting my current job I can pursue my interest of farming while working parallel. After some years planned to quit that job too and fully involve in farming…

    This was my dream and after reading your article I came to know that I am already made that as a project because I am accumulating money to purse the dream.
    Thanks .. nice article. Thanks to FuturFarmer for his comments.

    1. Good to hear that 🙂 . You are already on your project and its getting completed step by step . Just make sure you live a little frugal life 🙂

    2. FutureFormer says:

      Hi Another farmer,

      Thanks for your comments. i am really happy that atleast few well educated people like you come to do farming. i am in the process of making my project plan. Being a PMP, I could not utilize all my PMP knowledges in my current profession :(, but i hope i can implement all my skills on this since it is my DREAM PROJECT :). once it is finalized , i will share with you. please share your email id , if you dont mind. Lets hope our DREAMS COME TRUE.

      1. CM Raghu says:

        Hi Another Farmer n FutureFarmer,

        I am also in exactly the same stage as AnotherFarmer. Born in a agri family (though not involved in it much), as usual herd mentality, did s/w engineering and working in a MNC for past 2.5 years. Thinking to go back to village and carry on farming, but small hesitation due to lack of experience and knowledge in farming. wish we can discuss further, pls do contact me abt ur plans… my email raghubusy(at)gmail(dot)com….

        1. Thanks for sharing your vision 🙂

      2. Glad to hear that you guys want to do this ,also share it with me too , as I am also very much interested in that field .

  91. AA says:

    Can you think of an article with specific information targeted at unemployed folks in terms of saving tax, taking on term insurance/health insurance etc.? Would you have any advice for someone who is unemployed but has sufficient earnings by way of interest income, dividends and some capital gains to take care of basic needs. How can such a person save additional taxes? Is there any way to get a benefit similar to HRA on actual rent paid? Can such a person get term insurance? What about health insurance?

    1. I dont think a person will be eligible for term insurance in this case . I think a person who is in a condition which you mentioned can be seen as a “retired” person .

  92. AJA says:

    Any advice on how an unemployed/self employed person can protect himself and family by way of life and health insurance? Is a term insurance available for such people?

    1. Term insurance is available for self employed but not for unemployed!

  93. Dinesh says:

    Manish ,

    You have transformed from a critical financial planner to a motivator .
    job well done again . I personally like the way to articulate your thoughts into an article.
    Regards
    Dinesh

    1. Thanks Dinesh:)

      Did you like the audio on Project vs Dream ?

  94. Rajandran R says:

    Hi Manish,

    Even I do have commitments in my life thats why i still mange myself to be in my profession ( Telecom Job) which i dont want to quit as of now. Even Iam not seeing myself anywhere around 3-5 years in my professional Job.

    I work for money. As I do have commitments. Otherwise I would be Independent now Coz Iam very much passionated with the work i am doing with marketcalls.

    Now my Website is down now because of anonymous taking Entire Sites hosted in Godaddy Down. Which Brings me lot of fear that I should not leave my current job. Because i don’t even want to risk my life towards what iam passionate.

    1. Thanks for your comment Rajandran .. looks like your hosting is with godaddy , I have domains from them , but websites are hosted at other places 🙂

  95. jeetuojha says:

    Tnks Manish .. article inspired me , i had decided long back to start a business ( may be after 3 to 4 yrs ) , but couldn’t get a enough time to do a ground work ( may be i wouldn’t take seriously about my business ). but now your article boosted me to make a plan for my future 🙂 .. tnks alot .. god bless u 🙂

    1. Nice to hear that you got motivated .. go for the background work soon ! .. Thanks .

      And how did you like the audio on “Project vs Dream” ?

  96. Deepa says:

    Hi Manish,

    A very nice n inspiring article. I have left my job in a Software Industry few months back and planning to start business in partnership may be in coming 2-3 months. I was lil worried abt Äm i doing right ? but after reading your article i ve become confident. Though the business will not be in the same field as well as not very large scale. I completely agree with Monika, the reasons she has given and the quote by Dhirubhai Ambani shared by Bhavik

    1. Yea .. good luck for your new venture . !

  97. raju says:

    Hi Manish,

    Nice Article.

    Your data have 41% of ppl who has less than 3 years,
    1-3 years is always frustrating time in any field(even in the field of your choice/passion) as I know and u dont have much chances to change a company of your choice or career .And, as you mentioned that they will have edu. loan or first job expectations etc…
    Ppl will come out of this after 2-3 years and start thinking of their own career path or sometimes they will develop some interests.

    I have a question..As a fresher everybody wanted to have a job in branded MNC for the sake of status/money. Once settle down with job/pay, start complaining abt work & interests. If something is their passion/interest, y cant they wait for a company of their chance or join a small firm paying less of their interest????Everybody wanted to start with a BIG firm(even in my case) after education,whether it is related to their field or not.

    Everything revolves around money/status/ego.

    I have seen ppl started taking up on their interests like music/sports/movies/charity etc, once they cross the financial burden/psychological illusion or something.

    Initially ppl think they are not working on right career, i observed ppl do it with lot with interest (may be turned into passion) on similar career after few years of exp. and maturity in the same field. Ppl change from testing to devt, or devt to testing, engg to management, change the domain or with domain to suit to their personality/habits/interests.

    I think nothing wrong in that too. I am not complaining abt taking up of own interests,but y to blame the kind of job doing/done for the money or whatever.No employer would force to take job…I dont think that will happen in any part of the world unless you want a job from him.

    I think even jobs are not that easy to do and many ppl will do it with interest.
    But, have seen ppl changing/quitting firms only to get good financial status or satisfying/challenging/relaxing work w.r.t individual’s nature.

    But, you have provided a good info, who wants to start pursuing of their own career path.

    Regards,
    Raju

    1. Thanks for your detailed comment Raju ! .. Agree that most of the people get a proper understadning after few years . I feel only after 1-2 yrs on job , most of the people realise that they dont like it 🙂

  98. Bhavik says:

    Perfectly written. I will just add an inspirational qoute – “If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire to build theirs”- Dhirubhai Ambani

    I think, this 1 line conveys it all- Dreams Vs Project 🙂

    Well done Manish…lets catch up sometime

    1. Very nice quote ! .. thanks

  99. Gordon says:

    – 99.9999% people dont have what it takes to start and run a profitable business.
    – S/W industry pays very well, with good HR policies, good working environment, assured income, no risk, even for people with just average skills.
    – 99% of startups simply fail. (remember dot com boom ?)
    – So people should *not* jump to start a business from such nice S/W jobs, unless they have a solid biz plan/motivation/experience/skill (which 99.9999% people do *not* have.). I cant stress this enough.

    1. So if someone just not love his/her job , they should stick to their jobs for life ?

    2. Amit says:

      Hi, I dont agree with your so “claimed and stressed figures” of 99.9999999….. % . Dont forget each and every big firm was a result of a startup idea. How can you say something without knowing about it. Who in the earth has said 99% of startups fail ?? !! Let me make it clear that startups may suffer loss but that is not failure. Everything begins with a stagger and then grows. Please dont post such absurd baseless facts to un-inspire people who love to do something of their own . I can also make a statement going on your lines . “99% of people who spend their lives toiling in so called s/w jobs end up in grave earlier than those who quit their jobs in mid :)”

  100. Ram Mohan says:

    Hi Manish,

    Excellent article as usual and very inspiring

  101. Anurag says:

    Hi Manish,

    I am planning to start a blog. Which will be better .blogspot or wordpress

    1. WordPress is always bettter.

  102. Dayananda says:

    Excellent and informative article.
    Thanks Mr.Manish

  103. siddhant says:

    Hi manish,

    This may be a odd question but do you earn enough through your JI venture, I am sure u r happy in the work that is being done, but how is it financially.

    That dimension is also an important one, even if you are earning … do you earn enough when u leave the job & start the dream venture?

    Sorry if I am asking a question which is too personal.

    1. Siddhant

      Yes , I make more in JI now compared to my old job . In start it was low and inconsistent , but now its good and growing , remember that with job its generally a linear growth , but with your own business , the best part is it can go exponentially and in worst case drop like anything . At the end of the day , which one is good depends on money, satisfaction and other parameters defined by the person 🙂

  104. RD says:

    Excellent article ! Big help for those who want to start something their own but confused..how to start and when to strart..

    But before quitting job just make sure that you are leaving your job because you reallyy passionate abt what you REALLY want to do or start. You simply love it..

    Its absolutely doesn not make sense that i hate my current job and thats why i want to quit it. Always think why you hate your job. Its beacause you lack somewahere or you are not having proper skill to do it otherwise you like your job.
    If thats the case start working on areas where you are lacking (Comm skills, technical skills etc..)

    But if you really HATE your job as Manish said then go for what you love to do.
    It does not matter how much you earn if you are really happy (and also keeping your Familly happy..) with what you doing..

    I am also in Software field and in future my plan is to go in Education field because i think i can really make a difference there but before that i would like to make sure that i am really passionate abt it and i am working on it..

    1. Yes what you said makes sense, one cant just quit because they dont like current job , there has to be something which they want to get into and love !

  105. Mukul Rao says:

    Thanks a lot Manish
    Its really a good survey with very useful results.
    I started my venture in 2008 but finally get failed. Now in a job & was afraid of leaving of my current job due to lack of confidence within me & fear for getting failed again.
    This article has really motivated me to rethink.
    Lets see where life get a turn on…..

    1. Failure is the first step of success 🙂 . Just plan properly and keep trying !

  106. FutureFormer says:

    Hi Manish,
    Thanks for a nice article as usual. Though i am a regular reader of your blog since inception, this is my fiirst comment as this is my favuorite article. i am 31 Yrs, MCA, working as DBA in UAE, well paid job, father of two girls, from a small town(thanjavur) in tamil nadu. When i was young i wanted to be a former(not joke). That is my passion. i am very much intersted in starting a small farm at my town and do ecological farming. i am planning to buy 10 acre agri land. before 10 years, my town was a wellknown place for paddy cultivation(thanjavur Ponni rice). but now only very less production. all the agri lands have been converted into plots. my plan is to quit the job after 3-4 yrs (since i have loan), return to india, start the farm and generate min 1 Lakhs per month. I hope this is possible bcoz after few years there will be huge shortage of agri products and if i do it technically and scienctifically, i would success. Thanks again for the article.

    1. Thats very nice thought . I am myself very much interested in farming and mainly vegitable farming . I like your passion and your thinking . Plan well and make a project out of it . You will succeed.

      Manish

      1. Shinoj Jose says:

        Farming is a nice option.
        Even I had that spark in my mind when I was a student. but ‘circumstances’ dragged me to software. But my brother had made his mind to farming, after BE in Electronics. He started his own company with his classmates for farming. (Yes, its true – a company for farming). His decision was great and did not leave any room for hesitation as he involved electronically automated high yielding precision farming.
        Yes, he was successful in incorporating what he learned and was able to divert the energy to the field he loved. And the company is moving with pretty good results.
        Just wanted to say that farming is no kidding and can yield you really great results if you are doing it properly and implementing great tools as my brother did. (Precision Farming)

        1. Thats very inspiring experience 🙂 . I would strongly suggest you gradually move towards it !

    2. Subramanian says:

      Hi Former,

      As of today for generating 1 lakh /month agricultural revenue you need a minimum of thirty acres. But if u go for paddy then may be less. But you need to grow various grains / fruits / horti to cover yourself as much as a basket of stock.
      And the investment will easily run in to crores. And please take in to account all the electricity problem, water problem.
      I appreciate your wish, but have enough fire to turn the dream in to a project!!!
      I am thinking of starting some thing same and already have purchased 3-4 acres land. But, as per my calculation, at the end of the day, if you are in to paddy cultivation you earn a nominal income. Else, like horticulture, you will keep spending for initial 2-3 years. After that, your expenditure and income will squre out.
      Be very careful into your planning. You need to spend at least 3-4 days every week initially.

      Best of luck

  107. manish says:

    Hi nandish/manish,

    Your article is as inspiring as ever..Your main focus in the abovearticle was on people who are very young and started their careers recently. Requestyour views on those who want to start on their own but are in their mid careers with a young family

    thanks

    1. Manish

      Thanks for appreciation , But this article was for everyone . I dont think the suggestions or strategy would be very very different for starters and people in middle of their career. If you see the survey , around 45% people have more than 5 yrs of experience and 30% have more than 7 yrs !

      Would you like to share what problems are you facing in your career right now and what is your aim ?

      Manish

      1. manish says:

        I am ina well paid job abroad and have no suchgrave problems in my current job., just that this is not what i want to do.

        Am planning to shift back and start a financial advisory firm in partnership with someone well known who is already into this ( 6 months).This would involve :
        No salary for me
        Schooling for my children
        Wife should start working

        Am not sure whether this is correct or not as inspite of working very hard ,difficult tounderstand how much revenue and by when i can generate

        1. Ok good luck for that, just understand financial advisory business is tough to survive in , You need very strong idea and patience !

  108. Karthik says:

    An excellent and thought provoking article. Now this got me thinking…

    1. Thanks for appreciation Karthik , May be you would like to share a bit more about you and how you feel about your current job ? What are your plans ?

  109. Rohit says:

    Very insightful article Manish.

    I had an idea of a car rental business which I want to start while coninuing with my regular job. But a friend said that it cannot be done without full-time involvement. Any comments or suggestions??

    1. Yes , its a good idea. I would say dont listen to friends who wants to prove why it will not work . I am not saying its easy , but you must have your own reasons for why it will work and why you can create some side business. This idea is not very rare actually, this came to my mind as well 🙂 .

      1. Rohit says:

        Hi Manish

        I know its pretty common.. But I didnt have the money to purchase a car before now. So in your opinion… what is the downside of such a venture? the things which may prove difficult to handle?

        1. Its the trust with the guy whom you are hiring . It might involve your attention . It might makes sense to pay the person you hire more , but you should not be involved beyond the point .

  110. Rohit says:

    Very insightful article Manish. Even though I work for a large MNC with a good package, I want to be master of my own time and earnings. I especially like the idea of starting somthing side by side with our job.

    I had an idea of purchasing a second hand car and giving it out on rent to cab operating companies etc. but a friend said that that it cannot be done without full-time involvement.

    Any comments on suggestions??

    1. Already commented on your other comment

  111. sangram says:

    Nice Article as always Manish & this time it is inspiring too.. 🙂

    Regards,
    Sangram

    1. thanks Sangram . WOuld you like to share more about your case ?

  112. Kunal R says:

    I’ve always felt as a mis fit in the Career choices that i have made. I’m a graduate in Microbiology , postgraduated in Bio-Informatics… somehow started my Career at a Premium Apparel brand in Sales, then switched over to a Leading Life Insurance player as an MIS analyst.

    I have enjoyed all the roles that i had been through, but lately i seem to be attracted towards the personal finance space especially PMS. Working accross sectors i have developed a good network of people who could be my clients in the future.

    What i esssentially need guidance is on the legal formalities involved. would love any information that you or the other users in any pitfalls that may arise.

    1. What kind of advice you need ? Setting up business ?

      1. Kunal R says:

        Yes,
        I want to know any minimum corpus is required by the promoter
        any licenses or certifications required.
        Taxation for client and self?

        1. that would be more suitable question for our forum – https://www.jagoinvestor.com/forum/

  113. Ankur says:

    Thanks. Good Survey and useful results.
    however, they add upto more if the responses can be evaluated cross-tabbed.
    for example: how many of those who want to have 3 years of buffer built in before starting out are above 5 years of experience or having more than 10 L of salary.

    If it is possible, can you please share the original data removing any identification parameter for these users.
    The resulting analysis will help a lot of people, i am sure.

    1. Ankur

      May be you can ask your specific question to me and I can share the results on comments section here , sharing of data will not be possible

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