Ask HN: Get a job with my CS degree, or start my dream business?
I’m about to graduate this May with my degree in Computer Science, and I’m honestly pretty worried. I know the job market is really tough at the moment, I’ve seen it first hand sending loads of job applications with few responses. My main focus is in Embedded Systems Software and it’s something I’m really passionate about. However, I unfortunately didn’t do an internship which is definitely damaging all of my applications and interviews.
I live in a state where there are very very few jobs in software engineering, so I would almost certainly have to relocate to another state.
However, I have always had a deep entrepreneurial spirit since I was very young. My long time dream has been to start a coffee company, but start it small and scale up. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about opening a mobile specialty coffee trailer and taking it to events, but also heavily focusing on catering. My goal would be to eventually scale up and open a physical location and a coffee roaster location. Then from there, possibly look into the coffee equipment industry which I’ve always been very interested in (mainly since embedded software is heavily used here in “smart” coffee makers).
I’m fortunate enough to be graduating with a good savings, enough to cover the startup costs for this business. I also am very thankful to have no student debt.
My dilemma is that I don’t want to throw away my passion for embedded software engineering, but I also know that now is the best time in life to take big risks and chase my ambitions.
What do you all think? Am I foolish for considering this and should I just focus on getting a job, or should I take the leap and see what happens? I’m not oblivious to the fact that this business would be way more hours of work for much lesser pay, but I’m willing to put my nose to the grindstone and see what I can build.
Thank you all.