On Apr 1 2021, I stepped down as CEO. For the 1st time in: - 10 years, I wasn’t responsible for salary of 50+ people - 12 years, I didn’t have a clear focus for my career - 14 years, I didn’t have a monthly pay check As year 2 of my Indie career starts, a recap of Year 1
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1️⃣ I was lucky to have a good base
→ No debt → No kids & no plans → Mom & Wife are financially independent (could support me if needed) → I had built an emergency fund with 1 year of essential expenses* * Essential expenses = Rent, Transport, Food, Utilities, Small leisure
2️⃣ I took some hard calls
→ Moved to a cheaper city: Halved expenses so runway doubled → Decided to start afresh: After 12 years in K-12 education, wanted to look beyond → No to full-time work: To have freedom to explore (After a decade as CEO, I want to be neither an employee nor an employer. Here’s what I want to do instead) → Shared openly with family: Ride will be bumpy
3️⃣ My Plan
→ I had a list of ideas & domains to explore → Gave myself 6 months to research → Aim: Find 1 thing that fits my criteria + I want to pursue for next decade → After 10 years as CEO I finally had time. Spent all of it reading, researching, thinking. Loved it. But…
4️⃣ Something didn’t feel right
→ The search for my ‘1 big idea’ was overwhelming → I was spending all the time in my head. So had no feedback loops & no external stimuli → Time was running out & I was getting desperate → That’s when I discovered Daniel’s Small Bets course (I was lost in my Solopreneur journey. A course helped me find my way)
5️⃣ Changed my approach
→ Stopped looking for my 1 idea & tried small experiments → Started writing regularly on Twitter → Came out of my self-imposed exile & connected with old friends & new → Had seen consulting as a distraction so always said no. Decided to try it out
6️⃣ Things improved
→ Early on, I had an existential crisis every 15 days Not had 1 in 3 months → Writing daily has been cathartic & opened doors → Found folks on similar quests Isolation ⬇️ Brainstorming partners ⬆️ → Consulting: My bank A/C 📈 for the 1st time in 9 months
7️⃣ My next 12 month plan
(A) Writing: Continue twitter & try LinkedIn/Newsletter (B) Paid coaching & consulting: To cover expenses (C) Experiment with new products & services: Launching soon a CBC on Hiring (D) Pro-bono coaching & consulting: I do a call every day. DM me
8️⃣ Goals
Work → Launch 2 offerings I am proud of Finances → Base: Revenue covers 1 year of expenses → Best: Base + restart retirement saving Lifestyle → Paid obligations ≤ 50% of time → Continue: Time with loved one & Outdoors (Beach, Treks, Cycling, Swimming, Surfing, Play)
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So that’s Year 1 recap & Year 2 aspirations. Gaurav from 2021 Apr is surprised at where I have landed. Gaurav from 2022 Apr is submitting to the journey. I don’t know where this journey leads. But I plan to take it as long as I can. Will share with all of you, what I find.