#StartupJourney #MomDoesn‘tGetIt #FollowYourDreams #TechLife
Hey there! 😊 So, here’s the deal: I’ve been fully immersed in my startup, Maasai Market Online, for the last couple of months, and I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. My e-commerce site is all about selling unique, authentic African products—think gorgeous beaded neckpieces, cute dog collars, woven handbags, and stunning brass rings. 🌍✨
But here’s the twist: my mom recently dropped the suggestion that I should consider getting a traditional job. 🤔 I totally understand where she’s coming from; stability is important, right? However, I’ve got this burning passion for my startup, and I turned her suggestion down because I truly believe in what I’m building.
What’s been tough is that she doesn’t quite believe in my tech journey. She doesn’t see it as a viable future, which has made me question myself a bit. It’s like a part of me is yelling, “Am I being crazy for chasing this dream over a secure job?” 💭
Here’s where I could really use your input:
- Is it crazy to prioritize my startup over a stable job? 🤷♂️
- Have any of you faced similar doubts from loved ones? How did you handle it? 📈
- What advice do you have for someone who’s all in on a tech-related dream? 💡
I’m eager to prove my mom—and myself—wrong and show her that tech and entrepreneurship can be incredibly fulfilling and lucrative! If you’ve got any tips or personal experiences to share, I’d love to hear them. Let’s chat!
👩💻💬
No offence intended, but the way you frame the question makes me think you aren’t thinking more than one step ahead, so yes, your mum may well be right. How can you think you’ll get a useful answer without providing any details on your startup? Have you validated the concept in any way? What’s the problem it’s trying to solve? What else out there exists?
How are you doing for money?
If you can earn money on the side while working on it, I think you should do it.
If you can’t… well, you need to convince your parents because I’m guessing you will depend on them for financial support?
how old are you?
Can you not do both?
You need a source of income.
If you do not want to beg your mother for service, domain name and infra costs, take up a job. I’d never advise anyone to leave work to learn to code without financial insulation.
A bit personal question but is your mom interested in your working because she’s supporting you right now?
Keep going! and have a part-time job at the same time!
You’re not crazy; you’re ambitious. **Most people don’t get it, especially parents who think security equals a paycheck.** But you see something they don’t. **You’re building something real, and that’s more valuable than any stable job.**
If you believe in your vision, keep pushing. **Proving her wrong is just the cherry on top.** Remember, every successful entrepreneur faced skepticism. Don’t let anyone’s doubts derail you. **Stay focused, hustle hard, and make it happen.** You’ve got this!
You can have a job and a hobby at the same time. Most people do.
Do yourself a favor and read the book (or audiobook) The Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kegan.
You need to focus on validating the idea. In essence, figure out how to find your customer base and start making sales ASAP.
This is totally not an ad
To be blunt, I don’t think you’re as near completion, as you think you are.
I just commented on your other post where you were asking for feedback on the app, in that post you mentioned the frontend is complete (its not) and you’re just getting started on the backend. If that site is the result of 2 months of full-time work, then I would contend you’re still (at least) 2 months out from being “complete”.
– Have you built and implemented a db before?
– Do you have payment gateway setup?
– What about the physical aspects of the business such as processes for: sourcing, inventory mgmt & shipping to name a few?
– How are you going to buy inventory if you don’t have any capital?
Out of curiosity, did she share her opinion after seeing your app and hearing the claim you were “almost done”? If I were her in that position, I too would be dubious of your claim.
I dont say this to discourage you from the entrepreneur route, in fact, quite the opposite, I mention these things as a reality check. Successful businesses arent built without a plan or without knowing what will be needed to execute the plan.
Right now, (it seems) you don’t know, what you don’t know – making the ability for developing a plan and projecting a timeline not a reality. Start by figuring out what you dont know – do this by reading real books/articles from ***credible*** sources (not some youTuber). Then once you have a drafted plan, seek someone (in business) to review it.
Plan your work. Work you plan. –> Iterate. Adapt. Learn. Advance.
Set your metrics and *THEN* bust your ass to execute & deliver.
Good luck in your endeavor.
Why can’t you do this on the side. You need income until this gets off the ground.
Have you sold anything prior to building a custom website?
You could have a wordpress commerce site up in a weekend to do a proof of concept.
Revenue would short circuit the argument with your mother — but it seems like you are just jumping in with out any semblance of a plan to support yourself.
Get a job — do both.
This idea always looks lucrative, but it is not all rosy once you start operationalising it. I have done a similar business and quite apart from the platform you are focused on the biggest challenge will be the providers of those maasai market products, unless you are producing these items yourself which i doubt. Since it’s an e-commerce platform once the customer orders you will encounter several challenges with quality, sizes, colour , quantities and delivery timeliness in other words those Street vendors are super unreliable you get what you see only, that is why they thrive there. My advice let this be your side hustle as you get a stable paying job, you’re not crazy perhaps a little ignorant, but you will succeed in the end once you manage your expectations
If all you’re making is an ecommerce site where are you coding it? Just use an off the shelf product like shopify.
A couple of things I would think here. First how old are you and how important is money now? You say you are near completion, well if near is 80-90% then finish it. Second can you get a job while this runs if you need it?
Depends if you have any safety net money
She thinks you are crazy because she is not your customer. The only people on earth right now that don’t think you are crazy are you and your customers. You don’t seek validation from your mom, you seek validation and a sense of accomplishment from your customers.
>coding journey
Why code anything when you can start selling using Shopify or WooCommerce in like 45 minutes?
It’s a good and common idea to find and sell unique cultural products, but I would focus 95% of my efforts on identifying good products and marketing. I wouldn’t touch a line of code until there was a scale need.
How much revenue have you generated from your startup?
And how much money did you invest in it.
How are you paying for personal and professional expenses? What are your monthly expenses for both and what is your current income and investments?
E-commerce is particularly well suited for being operated as a side gig while it ramps up to profitability as a main job pays the bills.
Why are you coding this from scratch at all? It seems like a basic ecommerce site, why reinvent the wheel
!remindme 25 weeks
If you are young (and it sound like you are) you should keep going. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll just find a job a few months or a year later.
What is your current monthly revenue? What is your profit margin on each kind of item, accounting for supplier costs, storage, handling and shipping? After that, how much is after-tax profit? Is that enough to pay the rent?
If the answer to the first question is “err, zero”, then you need a job. Until you actually make any money, what you have is a hobby project, and that doesn’t put food on the table. And a shiny website doesn’t actually get anyone a beaded necklace delivered, you need someone to make it and someone to get it to the buyer.
It sounds like retail not coding?