As part of moving to Melbourne, I need to decide what I'm going to do to generate income. Traditionally I would either take a Senior Solutions Architect or Enterprise Architect job in a telco, or look for an equivalent role contracting. I think that's not going to be the case quite yet.
After talking to @mrsrickerby at the pub about this (all our big decisions are made at the pub), we collectively decided that I am going to continue to work for myself. Not as a contractor though, but trying to create a sustainable software company, that is more than a 1 man band.
Ever since I attended university, I have wanted to make software products for small businesses. I really believe the small business segment is underserved by existing products in the marketplace, and given the size of these organisations (1-10 people is the company/customer size I'd want to target), software and computers need to get out of the way and let the people run their businesses, rather than manage and maintain software. This is also probably the last opportunity I'll ever have to give a project of this magnitude a go. I expect we'll be looking to settle down soon, get a family home, big mortgage etc and I can't take risks like this when I'd have all that to lose. It'd be unfair on everyone involved.
So, I'll be working for 6 months when we arrive in Australia, at home, by myself, trying to create a product to help small business people run their businesses, as unobtrusively as possible.
I'll also be enlisting the help of some friends. I can design software and systems very well, but user experience, graphic design, copywriting and the like are not my forte. Luckily I know some people in these areas, and I'll be drawing on their knowledge and skills too.
So, the 6 months starts in the New Year (2012) and if by June 2012 and it looks like I could have something to replace the contracting work I'd alternatively be doing, I'll be continuing on with the product. The alternative isn't bad - it's just not my dream.
Luckily I've managed to save up a runway of cash from working in the UK, and my wife is getting a good salary too, so we won't be eating pot noodles to make the $$$'s stretch. My wife is very supportive.