The decision keeping me from blogging…

Do I take the job offer no one has ever refused, or do I go to grad school full time and work on building my dream business? It’s only a hypothetical situation right now, but affirmed after talking to my recruiter today, it’s virtually guaranteed to be one I’ll have to make in less than two months.

On one hand there’s a job with great pay and benefits, good coworkers, and more training and ‘tech talks’ available than hours in a day. It’d be money to pay off student loans and produce an unbeatable resume. If I turn it down, I may not have a way in again.

On the other hand, there’s the business I started from nothing in college. The company I run as I see fit, where I make as much on 4 hours a week as 40 at a day job, and which enables me to reinvest into any new project I want to start. I’d go to grad school for a masters in computer science, and continue trying to develop Awio into an automated, low-risk, high-return business.

The problem is I can’t have both. The employment agreement would prohibit too much that’s necessary to sustain and grow a tech business on the side. I’d have to sell off the sites and throw out the plans for the future.

It’s a tough decision. There are risks to both options. The fact that there’s larger risk in going it alone is somewhat mitigated by the fact that I’ve always planned to go to grad school full time. It’s somewhat mitigated by the fact that I already have a great resume, and I’ve only once been rejected by a company I interviewed with (darn you, Google!). But it’s still an opportunity I’ll never have again.

I’d like to blog about what I’m doing with marketing and automation to expand and improve Awio during this period where I can’t start developing new services, but when I start to write, I’m held back. Does it matter if I’m just going to shut down and sell out? I need to make this decision now, before I even have to make it, so I can get it off my mind.

Posted on July 18, 2007 in Personal

More from this category

  • http://sitetruck.com oliver

    It’s a hard decision but remember with Awio your on your own, from the planning and marketing to developing and designing. Going with the other job you become part of a team, you could build something far greater than on your own and your with your friends as part of a team.

  • Matt

    Hi dan
    “Do I take the job offer no one has ever refused” => If this can make you feel better, many people have refused a job in this company ;-)

    But it is definitely a tough decision. Good luck!

  • Brian

    Well there are a few things you have to take into consideration. First by having your business are you able to afford all the medical,health,dental insurance plans out there? Can you start a retirement plan? Prices of these things are pretty high and I know a few people who had the hard time paying for these with their own business. If these are not a problem for you then I’d say stay with your own business and then you will have a easy fall back with your resume and experience. Good Luck

  • http://www.chesschitchat.com wobbles

    You could have someone else run/help run AWIO until you are able to come back to it.

  • http://epursuit.net/blog Paul Bradish

    Security vs. Freedom

  • http://www.sacredspaces.com Diane

    What lifts your heart? Guys don’t typically ask that of themselves. Logic rules. (Sort’a.)

    What kind of work is your passion? What kind makes you want to get up early, you could do it all day, and you just love it?

    Do that. You create your own reality. No one else.

  • http://121directresponse.com JMG HATBORO

    Well, I have to ask if you’ve actually talked to your employer frankly about your business. Maybe despite the legal documents which cover them every which way, they won’t see a conflict of interest in what you are doing on the side? Maybe it would be possible to have your cake and eat it too?

  • http://www.ilovecode.com Sara

    You need to do what you’re passionate about, but I’m going to guess that learning is also something you are passionate about. I know I am. With a company and a team, you will open yourself up to alot of learning opportunities that you wouldn’t have.

    But you don’t need the job for security I don’t think; you’re able to have that security through Awio. It is a hard choice but you just need to weigh the positives and negatives of each and see which one comes out on top!

  • http://www.mikehealy.com.au Mike

    Get creative. Sell the business to a trust, find a suitably qualified person to franchise* it for a few years as owner-manager and have them run it and keep the profits while they are in charge(after paying you an initial fee).
    In N years when you no longer work as an employee the franchise can end and the trust can sell the business back to you.

    You won’t get the earnings for that time, but you will get the once off franchise fee and you can come back to the business when you want to. You’ll also be hands-off while working.

    * I realise this is not a franchise situation, but it seemed a good enough word

  • http://www.midstatefair.com/2007/images/entertainment/online/index.php Pens

    Hello, here you can read all info about pen pal
    24\7.