For 13 months, I built my business alongside a full-time job. During the day I worked for my salary. The time left over went into the business. That is the experience I describe in this TikTok post.
It was an intense period: evenings, weekends and holidays, with very little sleep. I do not recommend copying that schedule. The caption itself makes that distinction: this was my path, not the only path, and not an invitation to sacrifice your health.
Give your salary and your business different jobs
My employment paid for daily life. That gave the business time to develop until it was strong enough for the next step. Starting did not require everything to be certain first.
If you are considering a similar transition, make it concrete. What can you test alongside your existing responsibilities? Which problem will you solve, who might pay for the solution, and what can you learn this month? Those questions are more useful than rehearsing the announcement that you are going all in.
Decide what progress would actually look like
Write down what would justify giving the business more time: repeat demand, a workable way to deliver and a clear understanding of the costs. These are suggested checkpoints, not figures from my own transition; the post does not give those details.
Do not turn my 13 months into your deadline. Different responsibilities change what is possible. Take the part of the story that helps: you can begin building while the job you already have supports your life. Then judge the next step by what you have learned, not by how dramatic the leap looks.