Should I take a gap year from work to try building my own SaaS/app?
I’m a 32yo female fullstack developer with around 7 years of experience in Toronto, making around $130–150k CAD/year. I’ve been thinking seriously about quitting my job and taking 6–12 months off.
I’m financially in a position where I can afford the time off. I don’t have any debt and have around $190k saved. I’m just feeling pretty burned out and honestly want some time to work on my own projects and figure out what I actually want to do next.
I’ve always loved coding, so that’s not really the problem. I just feel like I have no motivation left for corporate work. Every day feels the same and I’m exhausted from the people and the whole work environment.
I’ve always wanted to try being a solo entrepreneur and build a tiny SaaS or app that can at least pay the bills. I kind of want to experiment and see if I can actually make money working for myself while doing something I enjoy. I’d love to use the time off to see if I can make something work.
But I’m honestly really worried and afraid about taking the leap.
I feel like my job has become a big part of my identity. From the outside, it probably looks like I’m doing pretty well. I have a decent job, make good money, and have saved a good amount. I’m scared that if I quit, people will look at me differently or think I’m not doing well anymore.
I know logically that other people’s opinions shouldn’t matter that much, but it’s still something I’m struggling with.
Money is another concern, although I’m not too worried about running out. Depending on how long I’m unemployed, I might spend $30–60k of my savings. I can afford that, but I’d definitely be worried about finding another job if the SaaS/app doesn’t work out.
So I guess I have two main questions:
For anyone who has taken a career break, especially in tech, how did it affect your career? Did you regret it, or were you glad you did it?
And for people who have tried building their own SaaS/apps, how realistic is it to make enough money to support yourself? What was your experience like after leaving a stable job to do it?
Would love to hear some honest opinions, especially from people who have actually done either of these things.