Contemplating quitting your corporate job to become your own boss? [Thread]

Money

Making money is much easier when you have money. More importantly, having dry powder buys you time.

Starting with anything less than 6 months salary can be suicide. Bonus if you can get to a year saved up.

Flicking the switch on monetizing a new business isn't instant.
The fine print

Scrape through your employment contract to check for non-compete clauses, lock-in periods for approaching competitors, policy on recruiting existing employees.

Check what the notice period is, number of leave days you have to cash & how to transfer your pension.
IP

NEVER work on your personal business using a company device. Also resist the urge to send that sexy excel model to your personal email. Imagine chilling in Pollsmoor for a workbook.

Many companies run a check when you resign to check what you recently emailed & printed.
Skills

Level up as much as you can. Make a detailed checklist of everything you want to master before you bounce. Ideal skills are versatile, resilient and future-proof.

The more advanced your skills, the better your chances of someone paying you for those abilities.
Relationships

Who you know often outweighs what you know.

Convincing strangers to roll the dice on your new venture is tough. Having people in your corner who already believe in you makes it considerably easier to launch.

It's very cliché but networks do determine net-worths
Security

Plan B isn't just a decent contraceptive (ask me how I know), it reduces risk of living under a bridge. ALWAYS have a fall back plan.

If the business goes bust, what's the worst than can happen? How quickly can I find another job? De-risk as far as possible.
Leverage insiders

Fuck the expensive MBA modules, thick business books & terrible business motivation posts - speak to actual entrepreneurs.

Expect raw, honest and unfiltered feedback of the highs and lows. You can save yourself a lot of pain by having these convos early on.
Put in the time

Having the fall back of a corporate salary with the future of a new business is a luxury - leverage it

Set aside a few hours every week to work on your business plan, financial models and sharpen your relationships

Pay your school fees while you have security
Run a small hustle

A side hustle is a great way to rack up business experience without too much risk. It's also scalable. Most entrepreneurs spend far too much building and not enough time executing

Marketing, selling & negotiation aren't overnight skills
Valuation (1)

There's nothing more heartbreaking watching great businesses fail because founders have zero clue how to value their companies. Don't rely exclusively on other people to tell you how much you're worth.

Own the numbers, own the valuation.
Valuation (2)

Spend time looking at comparable companies, precedent transactions within similar sectors, know how a very simple discounted cash flow model (DCF) works.

List the key performance metrics you're benchmarking against.
Be realistic

IG entrepreneur pages will have you believe it's a life filled with yachts, penthouse suites, supercars & private jets.

In reality there's unpaid invoices, longer hours, repeated rejections and the emotional strain of not having regular, stable income.
Just start!

The more financial commitments you have, the harder it is to take the bold leap. It's tough to be creative when you're focused on survival.

Being an entrepreneur in Africa is especially tough but it's also one of the most rewarding & fulfilling personal journeys.
Shout-out for making it to the end!
Additional thread: Guide on raising capital
https://t.co/v81clU04xX

More from Don Petty Cash

Here are 20 of my best threads from 2020 covering personal finance, entrepreneurship, economics & finance, investment banking ++ useful resources.

Massively grateful to everyone who took time out to read, comment & share these across the year. I really appreciate you.

[Thread]

1. Breaking-in – study notes, free textbooks & past


2. Breaking-in – the job connector


3. Breaking-in – book smart vs. street


4. Personal Finance – MEGA Property

More from All

MASTER THREAD on Short Strangles.

Curated the best tweets from the best traders who are exceptional at managing strangles.

• Positional Strangles
• Intraday Strangles
• Position Sizing
• How to do Adjustments
• Plenty of Examples
• When to avoid
• Exit Criteria

How to sell Strangles in weekly expiry as explained by boss himself. @Mitesh_Engr

• When to sell
• How to do Adjustments
• Exit


Beautiful explanation on positional option selling by @Mitesh_Engr
Sir on how to sell low premium strangles yourself without paying anyone. This is a free mini course in


1st Live example of managing a strangle by Mitesh Sir. @Mitesh_Engr

• Sold Strangles 20% cap used
• Added 20% cap more when in profit
• Booked profitable leg and rolled up
• Kept rolling up profitable leg
• Booked loss in calls
• Sold only


2nd example by @Mitesh_Engr Sir on converting a directional trade into strangles. Option Sellers can use this for consistent profit.

• Identified a reversal and sold puts

• Puts decayed a lot

• When achieved 2% profit through puts then sold

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दधीचि ऋषि को मनाही थी कि वह अश्विनी कुमारों को किसी भी अवस्था में ब्रह्मविद्या का उपदेश नहीं दें। ये आदेश देवराज इन्द्र का था।वह नहीं चाहते थे कि उनके सिंहासन को प्रत्यक्ष या परोक्ष रुप से कोई भी खतरा हो।मगर जब अश्विनी कुमारों ने सहृदय प्रार्थना की तो महर्षि सहर्ष मान गए।


और उन्होनें ब्रह्मविद्या का ज्ञान अश्विनि कुमारों को दे दिया। गुप्तचरों के माध्यम से जब खबर इन्द्रदेव तक पहुंची तो वे क्रोध में खड़ग ले कर गए और महर्षि दधीचि का सर धड़ से अलग कर दिया।मगर अश्विनी कुमार भी कहां चुप बैठने वाले थे।उन्होने तुरंत एक अश्व का सिर महर्षि के धड़ पे...


...प्रत्यारोपित कर उन्हें जीवित रख लिया।उस दिन के पश्चात महर्षि दधीचि अश्वशिरा भी कहलाए जाने लगे।अब आगे सुनिये की किस प्रकार महर्षि दधीचि का सर काटने वाले इन्द्र कैसे अपनी रक्षा हेतु उनके आगे गिड़गिड़ाए ।

एक बार देवराज इन्द्र अपनी सभा में बैठे थे, तो उन्हे खुद पर अभिमान हो आया।


वे सोचने लगे कि हम तीनों लोकों के स्वामी हैं। ब्राह्मण हमें यज्ञ में आहुति देते हैं और हमारी उपासना करते हैं। फिर हम सामान्य ब्राह्मण बृहस्पति से क्यों डरते हैं ?उनके आने पर क्यों खड़े हो जाते हैं?वे तो हमारी जीविका से पलते हैं। देवर्षि बृहस्पति देवताओं के गुरु थे।

अभिमान के कारण ऋषि बृहस्पति के पधारने पर न तो इन्द्र ही खड़े हुए और न ही अन्य देवों को खड़े होने दिया।देवगुरु बृहस्पति इन्द्र का ये कठोर दुर्व्यवहार देख कर चुप चाप वहां से लौट गए।कुछ देर पश्चात जब देवराज का मद उतरा तो उन्हे अपनी गलती का एहसास हुआ।