[dngit]

Sounds like you're living the dream! I definitely agree that a few months of safety net doesn't feel "safe" at all and 1-2 years is more reasonable. One question, how did you initially start building that network of clients to reach a point where word of mouth sustains the business?

[rkagerer]

Basically by starting out doing projects for peanuts, for anyone I could (eg. acquaintances, contacts from summer jobs, etc). That got me references.

When I developed my first software title and sold it B2B, that helped bring in lots of new customers from around the world - many wanted to buy customizations or integrate the technology into their products. This naturally led to higher margin consulting work and is how my focus began to pivot. I was also posting guidance online to solve certain challenges in my niche of expertise that were previously considered somewhat intractable, which helped with exposure.

After that it was just years of hard work and a deep commitment to customer success.