How to handle a full time employee job and indie hacking

Hello everyone!

People frequently ask me how I can handle having a full time job and building SaaS products. This will be the topic of the day.

Before diving into the deep end, there's a crucial first step required: ensuring your employer agrees with you having a side business. You might have limitations (no conflict of interests, etc). Be sure to have a letter from your employer to avoid you troubles.

What are the benefits to keep your full time job when you start indie hacking?
SaaS entrepreneurship is a long journey and acquiring users is hard. You can have a fantastic product and make 0 sales. Take Marc Louvion , the PH maker of the year as an example. He started full time indie hacking in 2021, built many apps but the first great profits came 2 years later in 2023. You might wait for a long time before being ramen profitable so keeping your job will let you experiment without any financial stress.

The downsides: you will have less time to focus on growing your SaaS.

Organization is Key: Making every minute count
My secret weapon? Ruthless organization. My commute isn’t just a ride; it's my mobile office. This is when I brainstorm and create content for my online presence. I plan and schedule my posts for the coming days to ensure a continuous online presence (like my emails, scheduled with Beehiiv 😉 ). An anecdote? I'm currently writing in an outfit shop waiting for someone trying many baskets. But spontaneity is important as well, I often send unplanned posts to keep things fresh and react to "live" events.

Slots planning
I have gotten into the habit of working off-schedule. I reserve specific time slots to engage with my audience, replying to messages and comments. It's like having virtual coffee with my community. For instance, I listen to entrepreneur podcasts during lunch to get inspired, and I do some coding in the evening. But even if I love indie hacking, there's some day I need to stop thinking SaaS and take real breaks. And that's vital to stay focus and motivated.

Weekly goal setting
Each week, I set specific, achievable goals for my SaaS ventures. This keeps me focused and ensures I'm constantly making progress, even if it's just small steps. The fact to check an objective means I progress, it’s satisfying and great for motivation.

Teamwork is my secret power.
I've teamed up with a full-time indie hacker and work with freelancers. This partnership is a game-changer. It balances the workload, allowing for continuous progress on our projects. I like solopreneurship but a duo helps to brainstorm with someone and challenge ideas, and freelance helps for specific tasks.

Indie hacking is a marathon, not a sprint
Unless you want to ship fast and sell SaaS fast, entrepreneurial journey isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. It requires patience and resilience. Is not about having time; it's about making time. And sometimes, the busiest people find the most time.

Keep hustling :)