Re:How to Survive as a Solo Dev for Like a Decade or So
by ryandrake on Thursday May 04, 2017 @12:02PM
(#14265878)
Wow that hits home. Been there, done that. Pro-tip, especially for Californians: If you're on a shoe string budget, don't go set up any kind of tax or business entity before you have revenue. Paying CA's $800 LLC tax and paying an accountant $400 to write "$0" on your tax return every year is a pointless waste of money. Ask me how I know.
Re:How to Survive as a Solo Dev for Like a Decade or So
by Justin_K on Thursday May 04, 2017 @12:41PM
(#14266322)
But with a legitimate entity, you can deduct all kinds of legitimate business expenses to offset the minimum $800 tax. It's handy to write off the losses during your startup years. Doing business as a sole proprietor and filing losses is asking for an audit, which can be very time consuming. Doing the same as a legitimate business entity is far less likely to end up in an audit.
Re:How to Survive as a Solo Dev for Like a Decade or So
by fancy_pantser on Thursday May 04, 2017 @01:49PM
(#14267021)
> They run around organizing things, setting up office space, getting logo's designed by fancy marketing companies, hold meetings, etc... they do everything except figure out how to make money.
I just heard an extremely similar message from Steve Martin in his Masterclass video series: "I was talking to some students and they were saying things like, 'how do I get an agent?', 'where do I get my headshots?' and I just thought... shouldn't the first thing you're thinking about be how do I be good?"
Re:How to Survive as a Solo Dev for Like a Decade or So
by yetihehe on Thursday May 04, 2017 @12:09PM
(#14265963)
> ... they do everything except figure out how to make money. They love the idea of being a business, but not the actual work that comes with that territory.
We should call them "cargo cult businessmen".
> When your game sells and makes some money, treat it in terms of how many years you’ve got until you’d have to get a ‘proper job’
> I’d released three games before I went ‘full time’, and my 4th was just about ready to launch. The first games were made in my spare time while my Real Job paid for my food and rent, because honestly fuck starving yourself, fuck living on beans and worrying about rent. Go Full Indie when you can afford to Go Full Indie, and not before
If you're just starting out, making your first game in this case, it makes no sense to spend a ton on office space, designers, etc. You have no income yet... one step at a time sort-of-thing.
Too many people fall in love with the idea of running a business, but don't actually know what that really means. They run around organizing things, setting up office space, getting logo's designed by fancy marketing companies, hold meetings, etc... they do everything except figure out how to make money. They love the idea of being a business, but not the actual work that comes with that territory.