One of those "I quit my job" posts

Introduction

I recently decided to take game development more seriously. This blog post describes my first steps to becoming self-employed.

Why am I doing this?

I’ve been thinking about starting my own business for a long time. Especially on long evenings when I worked late into the night on games. Now I want to devote my full concentration to game development. Of course, personal freedom and other things that come with being self-employed are also important to me.

Finances

First of all, I have to rely on my own savings and grants. Within Germany, I have the opportunity to receive funding help from the state. I am currently going through a procedure to receive this start-up grant. This will enable me to finance my first game. There is also funding available within my federal state. I’m not quite ready to apply for it at the moment. However, this would also be an opportunity to obtain further funding. With external funding, I will be able to hire an artist, which I am currently looking for.
Another source of income could be external services. For the time being, I’m ruling out a publisher or crowdfunding for my first game.

Status

I am currently in the process of writing my business plan. This is not only important for the investors, but also for myself. I want to have a clear structure, goals and a clear timetable for them. If you are interested in the structure or the finished piece, please let me know.
There is no concrete game idea yet. That’s why I’m analysing the games market for potential trends. Therefore I am currently using the Steam Next Fest.
The next step will be to set up a company. I’m also analysing the market and collecting game ideas.

Concerns

Alongside the confidence, there are also concerns. Above all, it’s about the visibility of the game. A game can be as good as it is, but without attention it is worthless. With the number of games being released on Steam these days, it is difficult to stand out. It’s important to have a good marketing strategy.
Also there will also be a lot of bureaucratic hurdles at the beginning. As a self-employed person, there are more obligations to fulfil. It will also be difficult to set the right priorities and not work too much. I’m looking forward to the challenge!

What about you?

Are you self-employed or have you ever thought about starting your own business? Tell me about your plans!
Feel free to add your questions in the comments! You can also contact me via Twitter, Instagram or email.