App Development, COVID, Homeschooling and Me
Unexpected events and unexpected consequences
Pre-COVID-19, I was a very happy contract software developer. I’d been fortunate enough to have worked with bright people at fantastic companies building great products for many years. And I thoroughly enjoyed it all.
Saying that, I’d always had an itch. What would it be like to break out on my own and build something from scratch?
Why hadn’t I scratched that itch?
The main obstacle was usually the lure of the next contract. The security of guaranteed income vs a period of no income always made making that final leap all too easy to postpone.
Then the end of my contract coincided with the global pandemic!
Time for an emergency family meeting. Well, a takeaway and a bottle of wine at least. After a few hours talking it through, my wife and I realised my concerns fell into two buckets — the things in my control and those I had no control over.
I definitely couldn’t control COVID-19 and its impact on the job market, so it was probably best to just accept that it was happening. I could, however control how I reacted to it. It was at this point I started to think differently about my situation.
Like thousands of others across the country, juggling homeschooling (2 kids, aged 8 and 10), and full-time jobs, up to that point had not been easy. Dedicating more time to the kids meant falling behind at work, whilst catching-up with work left the kids restless, bored and ‘un-schooled’.
Could my contract ending somehow help with these stresses? Did I absolutely need to get another contract? After years of long days commuting into London, could this be an opportunity to spend more time with the family. The kids are growing up fast, and I probably wouldn’t get another opportunity quite like this. There was the added benefit of freeing up my wife to concentrate on her work.
Also, what if I used some of my time to start my own business. I’d wanted to for years, but had not found the right moment. Could this be the opportunity?
After looking at our finances, I realised we’d be able to survive a few months without a contract. All of this could just work.
So, in a super short space of time, COVID-19 had taken something that would have felt like a risky option (taking a break from contracting to look after the kids, and starting my own business) and had turned it into a perfectly logical solution. More than that, it was a new chapter in life and I was excited to get started.
And here I am, 8 months later. It’s not been easy, but It’s also been the most challenging and rewarding period of my life, both professionally and personally.
In terms of the kids, well they’re still speaking to me which I’m taking as a sign of success.
As for the business, I’m proud to say the app has just been released. It was a huge amount of work, but I thoroughly enjoyed the process, and can’t wait for users to get their hands on it. It’s a simple app that allows businesses to manage their VAT obligations from their phone.
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