It was a tough decision, but I rejected the six-figure offer and canceled all job interviews. I will continue working on my projects.
Our savings and investments were burning. After my knee injury, I stopped hiking, running, and playing football, so I was on low energy levels. And I did not have any big wins with my projects.
I had many incoming messages on LinkedIn, and my friends called and asked me if I wanted to join their company. So, I started looking positively toward returning to the job after six months of this solopreneurship journey.
After a few conversations, I found a promising opportunity and proceeded with the folks. Long story short, they gave me an offer. But the more I talked to them, the more I understood that I would not have time to proceed with my projects. It was a startup, and I know that the newly founded startup demands a lot of energy and time from the lead engineer.
I don’t hate to be employed. I was ready to give up many things, like my current freedom, but I wasn’t prepared to give up my dream of creating something that helps humans, pays our family bills, and I am proud of it. If I met a side-project-friendly company, I could join it without any thought.
It was hard to decline the offer. On the one side, I had an opportunity to join a cool startup, grow a team and make a lot of money. And on another side, I have 1.5 projects without any signs of success and burning savings. But it was not the proper comparison.
It was the choice between sticking to my old path and identity because I was afraid of failures and a new steep but exciting path for a new me with slight chances of success.
It was a choice between working on someone else dreams or trying to follow my dreams even at the cost of all savings.
It was a choice between easy and hard. I made my choice.
Until I today have such an opportunity not to give up, I should do it. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?