Looking for someone to show me what's possible

[jaimelavoie]

Hello, I am a 23 y/o software engineer looking to escape my own limiting paradigms. I am of the opinion that surrounding one's self with successful and driven individuals is the best way to change ones mindset. My local connections aren't interested in being my mentor / friend so I thought maybe someone online would be. I have an open mind and I'm eager to learn a new way of looking at things.

I have been working my first engineering job for around 7 months now and I already feel like doing something more fulfilling. Everyday feels like someone else's day; the money isn't great either (it's a junior role). I decided to start exploring side projects and interests until I find a viable business. Recently I tried building an e-commerce brand however my approach to value proposition was all wrong, I did learn lots though.

My lifestyle is pretty poor, I live and work in my girlfriends small dorm room and sleep on the floor. I have limited assets as I have only been working for the last 7 months, salaries are also smaller in UK (thinking of moving to US as dual citizen). I grew up in a low income single mother household and never had anyone around me to teach me how to make money. I guess I'm looking for the farther I never had ..

 

[jordondop]

@jaimelavoie Here's my advice as someone who has run companies all my working life (I'm 68).

Living a frugal lifestyle when you're young is a great start to a financially rewarding life. Congratulations. I'm assuming you're saving up money and keeping in somewhere safe. In the US that would be a federally insured savings bank - the stock market is too volatile for short term savings.

Check your employment contract to see what you can and can't do outside of work. In the US some contracts say the company will own any software you design even if it's not for them.

Find someone to pay you for something you are able to do on the side. It might be contract software (assuming that's not a violation of your agreement). I would start by doing some sort of work that pays for your labor & time rather than a product or a brand. The money will come in sooner, and you have less investment. Plus the returns are not as risky as trying to launch a product. AND the big plus is you'll learn how to sell. Face to face sales give you the biggest learning in the shortest time and whatever you end up doing (I've had several different companies) you always need to know how to sell.

When I say pay for your labor & time, I'm talking about stuff like consulting, contract work, even manual labor - my first profitable company was window cleaning.

This is the biggest thing - I probably should have put this first. The best way to change your mindset is to forget about your mindset and get into action. Business is about selling something to someone for less than it costs you. Not about mindset. And if you're successful eventually your mindset will change (probably). It's OK if you don't love what you do. That's why people pay you. Do a good job and you're more likely to love it anyway. There's a great book on this topic by Cal Newport called SO GOOD THEY CAN'T IGNORE YOU. You should apply that to your job too.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jaimelavoie]

@jordondop Thank you for such a thoughtful reply. your words made me feel better about my circumstances and now I have some hope. I will look through my contract for any clauses on idea ownership. Hopefully I'm not restricted from starting something on the side. I suppose next I'll have to consider how to package the skills I can offer into clear cut services and work from there. Thanks again for your story and advice, it was much appreciated. will also check cal Newport

 

[angelicawhite]

@jaimelavoie > the money isn't great either (it's a junior role)

I'm interested in this statement, even junior roles in software engineering in the UK should be paying enough to not be sleeping on the floor. Are you working for an agency? Or a company building their own product? I'm wondering if you have sold yourself short or perhaps aren't aware of higher paying roles. I mean no disrespect, but this often happens with people from poorer backgrounds (I volunteer with the social mobility foundation, theres a lot of research on this)

I also want to give a piece of advice I've given here before but seems to fall on deaf ears. Apply your entrepreneurial mindset to your job. You say "every day feels like someone else's day". I say you need to reframe it. Take every opportunity to learn. Talk and pair with senior engineers. Take on challenging tickets. Do courses online. People often complain here about how they are taken advantage of in their jobs. Are you taking advantage of your job.

 

[jaimelavoie]

@angelicawhite thank you for your helpful reply, firstly I am not sleeping on the floor out of total necessity. I have generated a very frugal mindset and feel like I need to save everything I make. My salary is median salary for UK but it isnt all about the money. I would like an exciting project to work on of my own making and something that has lots more growth potential than a 9-5.

As for taking advantage of my job, you are certainly right that there is lots of wasted potential there. I do have a mentor that I meet with everyday and the work is starting to become rewarding on some level. I have resigned myself to a growth phase as I know experience and learning are the most valuable things at this stage.

I just want to learn more about business and start some projects on the side. this was I am ready to take opportunities when they come to me and I'll have extra money to deal with my frugal personality.