I (30M) recently lost my job. I saw this as an opportunity to finally start my own business.
Here’s the conundrum:
I’ve been working in tech all my live: I’ve built my career on that track. I have a lot of experience in AI, workflows, product management, business processes and automation. That’s why I’m thinking about starting an AI Agency.
I know the opportunity is huge right now, I have several clients I could start working with right off the bat. My skill set, and the timing is perfect to gain momentum into the future when AI automation just becomes the industry standard. I’m confident I can make a decent amount of money on it.
The problem? I’m good at it due to my extensive experience – I just don’t like it that much. It’s not that I hate it, I just happen to be kinda OK with it.
On the other side, I recently discovered my passion: filmmaking. I really, really like it. The problem is that I’m an amateur, have no network and I live in Alicante, Spain, where the filmmaking industry at a professional level is non-existent.
Based on that situation, starting as freelance filmmaker looks like a very scarce career: always fighting for gigs, low budgets and the constant thread of AI (I know this by my trade).
I could also see it going the other direction though: AI enabling everyone and democratizing filmmaking and VFXs. This would mean high quality productions at a fraction of its current costs. And I would love to be a part of this new wave.
Also, I’m planning to start a family with my gf next year. This also adds weight to the money option instead of the passion option.
I can’t help but feel like I’m an immature kid for doubting this, given such a good opportunity presented to me to earn good money and provide to my family. But I’m really afraid to look back 20 years from now and regret not being able to pursue my passion and falling for money.
What would you do in my situation? Honestly, any feedback is really appreciated.
Choosing between money and passion.
byu/GerarTV inEntrepreneur
Posted by GerarTV
3 Comments
Totally agree with this take. People underestimate how much consistency matters more than talent.
Man, first off huge respect for being this honest about where you’re at. Most people either sugarcoat the “money vs. passion” debate or oversimplify it, but you’ve laid it out exactly like it is: messy, conflicting, and real.
Here’s how I’d think about it:
1. Lock in stability first.
You’ve got an in-demand skillset. Whether that’s starting your own AI agency or just picking up another high-paying role, you’re sitting on something that will give you steady monthly comp. Since you’re planning to start a family soon, this is priority #1. Not because passion doesn’t matter, but because stability buys you time, tools, and breathing room.
2. Get so good at it you can “work 8 hours in 2”.
The challenge here isn’t just making money. It’s making money efficiently. If you can structure your work so it’s streamlined and doesn’t drain you (think: agency systems, productized services, repeatable workflows), you’ll free up time and energy to pour into filmmaking. This is what sets up phase 2.
3. Make filmmaking your second full-time job (without the pressure).
Once the bills are paid, you can throw yourself into filmmaking without the weight of “this has to feed my family”. That freedom is gold. You’ll be able to experiment, learn, network, and ride the wave of AI democratizing filmmaking without being crushed by the instability of it. You’ll also avoid falling for the “easy mone” traps in creative industries, because you’re choosing projects, not depending on them.
4. Then flip the script (if you want).
Over time, if filmmaking grows into something substantial, you’ll have the option to make it your primary gig. By then, you’ll know the industry better, you’ll have a body of work, and you’ll have minimized the risk of diving in blind.
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So in short: don’t jump into the abyss. Build a bridge while you’re still standing on solid ground. Stability now -> filmmaking on the side -> reassess in a few years. That way, you’re providing for your family, sharpening your craft, and keeping regret at bay.
Also, it’s not an immature dilemma at all. It’s literally the entrepreneur’s classic “today’s money vs. tomorrow’ dream” fork in the road. The trick is you don’t actually have to choose one if you sequence it right.
Hey man, I made a similar decision to this. Had a job that felt like drudgery but a great career path vs. passion…in my case editing.
I’ll say I now think the follow your passion trope is a scam from business gurus. It’s trying to say that you’ll enjoy the work that you do. The only way you improve and build a great business is doing LOTS of the things you don’t like.
Sitting and calling a bunch of people to get a client. Following up on emails. Doing incredibly boring corporate videos that pay well.
The thing you love is still a hobby anyway. You’re more skillful, but the fun parts where you do it for yourself is a hobby either way.
Personally, I still pursue it because I also fell addicted to not having someone tell me what to do constantly. Which is a drug imo.
So most of my day is drudgery parsed with passionate moments.
But if I was making this decision when I was younger, like 29 just before I quit, and I had this information now, I’d find a day job with decent coworkers that paid well or do something freelance that’s boring but pays a lot and is in high demand and at least do that part time and stack up retirement funds.
The bar for being good is sooooooo much higher in the creative field because everyone is passionate, obsessed and you need to be connected as well. It’s much tougher.
Not impossible, but tougher.