The Business of Software

Hi there,
I just started out working on my own.  Everything is going fine and hopefully I'll be able to make this vision a reality.  The 1 minute commute is also very nice.  So far the advantages are great except for one little problem.

Strange as it may seem, I seem to be missing the office.  More like the nostalgia of having someone to say hi to.  I realize all my life from school to work, I've always been in a group with a lot of people who did the same thing.  Now for the first time I'm on my own.  It seems like going your own way and choosing your own destiny is kind of lonely. 

Anyone here like that?  How did you make the transition?

Get out of the house for at least an hour every day.
Walk to the local coffee store for a coffee / go to the Gym.
It gets scary when you realise you haven't spoken to anyone except on a forum for a week.
It gets worse when you start talking to the cat.
The final sign is when you start scheduling meetings with the cat.....

If you have the money get a one room office in an office building..they are pretty cheap here in Florida US i have one for 700 a month. Set yourself a schedule, That is what i had to do, at home all day was killing me....what I do is that i go to work at 10 (I know kind of late...lol) work till about 1 or 1:30 go to the gym for about an hour, come back and work till about 6 or 7 and go home.

Martin ++1~!

"It gets worse when you start talking to the cat.
The final sign is when you start scheduling meetings with the cat....."

Too funny for words. Too true to ignore!

OP, the way things are presently in the "microISV industry" work tends to be a lonely affair. Martin's advice is good.

Lasagne at 12:00!

"It gets worse when you start talking to the cat.
The final sign is when you start scheduling meetings with the cat....."

Even worse when the damned cat doesnt turn up for the meeting and you find him lying in the sun licking himself... seriously, how does he expect us to turn a profit with that attitude?

>... seriously, how does he expect us to turn a profit with that attitude? >

Entreupaneurs are like that.  ;-)

+1 Martin :-) Soo true.

Thanks all for giving me a much needed laugh re: the cat and him not showing up to meetings. It made my day!

Have a good week.

I'm starting in a week, plan to visit the YMCA 3 days a week and start getting back into some sort of shape.  Also taking a class at Uni in the Fall.  We'll see how it goes.  No cat, a couple of plants though ==> CEO and CFO?

> getting back into some sort of shape.

+1

I've never been so fit as when running my misv. Exercise does wonders. If you're the type, do it outdoors (jogging, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, you name it). I think it tends to clear the head more. And try to do it with others, obviously. Though even alone it really helps.

At the YMCA I found swimming to be bad because the water isolates you from the rest of the world which is precisely what you don't need. Racquetball was a great stress reliever.

I went through all the above when I first started... my biggest problem was just goofing around playing games and general web surfing, not really knowing when to start on work because I was still at "home."

What finally worked for me was I'd get dressed up for work and drive to McDonalds every morning for a large coffee, and just that act of getting showered, shaved and dressed and leaving the house every morning was enough to "separate" me from home mode. Then when I'd pull back up in my driveway 10 minutes later I was ready for "work."

Also keep your office separate from your personal computer stuff (separate home and office computers) so when you're in your office you don't feel like you're at home.

Try to get a small room somewhere else, say, five minutes away from your home. Dress up and go to your office. Have lunch with your family. Spend time with kids. Go for a walk just to see people, vehicles, hear sound, Get some sunlight, Chat with somebody over Internet and participate in forums such as this.

It all depends on what you are used to. I'm quite content to sit alone most of the day as long as I have an internet connection. I don't have the face to face interaction but I can end up talking to 20-30+ people in a day on IRC, AIM, MSN and Twitter. If you need the face to face interaction then obviously that won't help, but for me it's like having a virtual office where I can ignore people if I need to do work or talk to people if I need to relax/procrastinate.

I got a cheap office, although I could get things done at home it isn't healthy to spend so much time in one place.

>Strange as it may seem, I seem to be missing the office.

What the hell are you talking about? Install World Of Warcraft right now! We'll soon get rid of those pesky social skills. :¬)

Behind you! Orc! Gaaaahhhhh!

I think when you work for yourself, you've got to get used to being a bit more on your own than you ever imagined. If you don't have the constitution for that, it can affect your work and ruin your business.

Unlike the office where the sheer number of people creates lots of opportunities (sometimes too many) for social and professional interactions, when you're on your own, you have to be proactive and make that happen for yourself.

One technique is to make eating into a social occasion. Call up a colleague or former/current/potential client or two and suggest breakfast or lunch somewhere convenient. If it works out, you could even make it a regular event. Even if you can only manage something like this once a week, it will help a lot and give you something to look forward to.

Other ideas would be to get involved in any professional groups that exist in your area. Here, you want to *get involved*, not just lurk. The idea is to get known favorably, so you'll volunteer to help put things together or give a talk, etc. This will make you more visible (and increase your circle of contacts for lunch partners, for example.)

The idea is to create a social/professional network for yourself any way you can. And it's not just a cure for loneliness. For a one-person shop, it's sort of essential for all sorts of reasons.

If this sort of thing doesn't come naturally to you, then it will take some effort, because it won't happen by itself. Look at the big picture; if you step back and view your business as an essential part of your life, what do you want it to look like to you in say, five years? Very few people are happy very long living as an electric monk in a home office cell working under a vow of silence.

I think it is quite normal to miss the office.  Man is a social creature.  Even if we developers need less contact, we still need some.

A while back I was in an apartment where I could have cats, and they helped keep me company.  I would be coding away with one of my cats lying on a chair next to me.

I do not have that now, and I notice it.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

>it isn't healthy to spend so much time in one place

That explains a lot. Wibble.

Ps/ What is this programmer obsession with cats?

"What is this programmer obsession with cats?"

Cats need less attention than dogs and girlfriends. They are a low maintenance pet. Dogs and Girlfriends require a LOT of attention, and WILL do anything in their power to get you away from the computer. Cats want to be petted while you're still working at the computer. ;)

Andy Brice: "What is this programmer obsession with cats?"

Cats and programmers herd similarly.

What obsession?  I love cats.  I love others things, too.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Maybe a pet would help too.  I'm trying to figure out how people survive retirement or why someone would want to be retired?

New ISV: "Maybe a pet would help too.  I'm trying to figure out how people survive retirement or why someone would want to be retired?"

Um, unless one quits retirement, one dies in retirement.

It can be nice to have some time off, but yes, I think I want to die in the saddle.  Actually, I do not want to die at all, but if I have to, in the saddle.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko