September 10, 2025

Starting from scratch?

Do you know someone who has been in a corporate job for a long time and just went out on their own as a consultant?

I just interviewed Shachar Meir (ex-Paypal, ex-Meta) about his experience of leaving corporate and going solo, back in 2023, and it’s chock full of good advice.

The interview won’t be published for a week or two but in the meantime I wanted to share something super useful he shared for people who’ve just made the leap:

Find a buddy who’s at a similar stage of solopreneurship as you are and meet weekly. Going solo can be scary and having someone who understands can be a big help. (If you don’t know anyone, you can almost certainly find someone in Ditcherville)
Find a mentor to help you avoid the biggest landmines. A good place to start is to reach out to any consultants who you worked with at your corporate job.
Contact everyone you know to let them know you’ve started a business, and ask them if they know anyone in your chosen target market.
Have some sort of financial cushion so you’re not desperate for work on day one. A year would be amazing, but even 3-6 months would give you some breathing room while you get your legs under you.

BONUS TIP:

If you are still going to be at your old job for 3-6 months, warm up your network by reaching out to anyone and everyone you know. No favor to ask... just say hello, wish them a Happy Birthday, or share an article that made you think of them.

Thanks for Shachar for joining me! I look forward to sharing the full interview here on the mailing list soon.

Yours,

—J