“Time is money” is a pretty common cliché that gets repeated at regular intervals. The main point of the expression is usually to minimize costs by decreasing the time spent doing things. I have under the last couple of years started to see the expression from another perspective where it instead symbolizes how you spend your hard earned money. Many spend their excess income on cars, gadgets, parties, travel, large houses, etc. Which of course there is nothing wrong with but very few decide to spend their hard-earned money to get more time. Time that could be used to follow your dreams. That is what I decided to do on the 19th of december when I quit my job as a programming IT-consultant to instead live of my saved money and bet large on my dream job, making games.
At the start of this journey I’m going to be mostly alone with the exception of having help from my brother with music and sound (which he is much better at). It’s going to be a challenge but I’m ready and very much excited for it.
The plan is to do a somewhat smaller game project in one year where a more advanced prototype of the game is made in the first couple of months to prove the viability of the game idea. The reason why I have a time limit already is because I’d very much like to avoid spending several years on my first game. That is also why I am during the first couple of weeks going to do one or two much smaller games to get into the tools and train myself.
Going back to the previous subject of time and money, I’m in a much better position of exchanging money for time than a lot of other people with family, house, loans, etc. But in Sweden there are laws that allow you to do similar things things but on a smaller scale that should be doable for anyone. And employers can sometimes be accommodating as well if you have a good idea. It all comes down to what you want to do with your money.
Wish me luck on this adventure!