Why Programmers Often Choose Not to Go Solo: Lessons from My Experience

Someone asked why programmers, who all write code, rarely choose to work independently. I once thought the same and actually tried it, only to end up almost begging for food.

After five years of solid development experience, I left a stable job with a friend to start our own venture, feeling excited and convinced that success was imminent. The reality, however, proved that going solo as a programmer is far from simple.

1. Technology alone isn’t enough – While programmers excel at technical work, delivering a complete product—from UI to backend, architecture to implementation—usually requires a team. Finding a reliable partner can be harder than finding a life partner, and I even had to double as an HR recruiter while still coding.

2. Where do the projects come from? – In a company, projects are brought in by bosses or sales teams. As a solo developer you must secure your own projects, which means constantly networking and pitching. Gaps between projects translate directly into fixed costs, and prolonged dry spells can quickly lead to dissolution.

3. Setting up a company adds overhead – Even if you can land enough projects, many clients prefer dealing with a registered company. This introduces recurring expenses such as registration fees, accounting, banking, office rent, and mandatory social insurance contributions, regardless of whether you’re profitable.

4. Hiring challenges – Once you have a company, deciding how many people to hire becomes critical. Too few staff and you can’t meet deadlines; too many and you’re left paying salaries for idle workers, leading to potential layoffs, compensation costs, or labor disputes.

5. Building a product versus doing contract work – Taking on outsourced projects one after another is exhausting; creating your own product sounds appealing, but product development involves market research, positioning, user analysis, funding, and post‑launch operations—areas most programmers have little experience with.

6. Lifestyle and role changes – A salaried job offers stable income and a clear role as a developer. Going solo means you become the boss, salesperson, recruiter, tester, and even janitor, which dramatically increases anxiety and uncertainty about the next month’s orders.

In summary, while programmers are strong technically, solo entrepreneurship demands a broad set of skills and constant risk management, making the stability of a regular job an attractive option for many.