Building side projects as layoff insurance - Aaron Francis
Apr 4, 2024
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Former educator Aaron Francis shares his journey of launching Tryhard Studios after being laid off from Planet Scale. Topics include building a studio in an apartment, the importance of side projects for financial security, the business model behind Tryhard Studios, and dealing with burnout in the entrepreneurial journey.
Side projects can act as layoff insurance by providing financial stability and professional opportunities.
Using a studio apartment for workspace can offer privacy, cost-effectiveness, and functional benefits for recording content.
Deep dives
Aaron Francis's Journey From Layoffs to Entrepreneurship
After being laid off from PlanetScale, Aaron Francis faced a pivotal decision: find another job or venture into full-time entrepreneurship. He considered job offers that flooded in after announcing his layoff on Twitter, garnering attention from over 600,000 users. Documenting his thoughts on his podcast, Moshi Technical, led him to launch his own studio, Try Hard Studios, with his colleague Steve, known for his creative talents.
Choosing an Apartment as an Office Space
Aaron's decision to use a studio apartment as his office space stemmed from the need for privacy and adequate room for video recording due to his growing family of four kids under three years old. After considering co-working spaces and expensive office leases, he found the apartment setup ideal for his recording needs, offering a cost-effective yet functional solution with added amenities like a private bathroom, kitchen, pool, and gym.
Harnessing Side Projects as a Safety Net
Aaron's side projects, like his financial accounting tutoring service for college students, proved instrumental in providing a financial cushion after his layoff. With a focus on leveraging these projects for income generation and professional opportunities, Aaron viewed them as insurance to soften the financial impact of his job loss. The stability offered by ongoing side projects allowed him to consider dedicating more time and effort to their development.
The Transition to Try Hard Studios and Course Expansion
Aaron's transition towards creating Try Hard Studios aligned with his vision of expanding his assets into an entrepreneurial venture. By incorporating Try Hard Studios into the screen-casting brand and adding mini-courses on various video editing platforms, Aaron aimed to transform screen-casting.com into a comprehensive hub for screencasting enthusiasts. The strategic partnership with Steve and their focus on enhancing the course offerings signified a shift towards building a sustainable business model around video production and education.
On the 6th March 2024, Aaron Francis was part of layoffs at Planet Scale, where he was an educator. Since then, Aaron has had a hard decision to make: find another job, or take the leap to full-time entrepreneur. Now the job offers came in thick and fast for Aaron, with almost 600,000 people seeing his layoff tweet, but after documenting his thoughts on his own podcast, Mostly Technical, Aaron announced what he was doing next. He launched his own content studio, Tryhard Studios.