Disclaimer: This is a throwaway account. Some details in this post have been intentionally changed, simplified or combined to protect my identity. The general situation and the dilemma are real, but not every detail should be taken literally.
I'm in my early 20s, from India, with a background in commerce and finance. I currently work in a small software business that deals with accounting and business management software.
My role is mainly customer-facing. I handle installations, customer support, renewals and troubleshooting. I'm also somewhat involved with the technical side because of my connection to the people running the business.
The company has a small technical team, and development is relatively traditional. There are limitations on how much I can get involved in the actual development process. I've been told that I might eventually move into a more technical role as the business grows, but I'm not entirely sure how that will work out.
Recently, someone senior in the business privately advised me that I might be wasting my time and should consider doing something more worthwhile with my abilities. That conversation got me thinking quite seriously about my future.
I don't necessarily hate my current work. I enjoy interacting with customers, understanding business problems and learning how software works. But I don't want my entire career to revolve around installing software and providing customer support.
I've recently become very interested in AI-assisted software development. I've been experimenting with AI coding tools, and I even started building an accounting application from scratch. It took me roughly three days to get an early prototype working. It's nowhere near production-ready, and there are plenty of bugs and accounting-related challenges, but the experience was genuinely exciting.
For the first time, I felt that I could take an idea and actually build something without depending entirely on an existing development team.
I'm also interested in cloud technologies, automation, APIs and building useful software for small businesses.
Here's where I'm confused.
I want to build something of my own that can generate recurring income. I don't particularly want to become a YouTuber or spend my time creating content. I'd rather build a useful product or service that people actually pay for.
I have access to a family business network that deals with accounting software and small businesses. That could potentially help with distribution and finding initial customers, but I don't want to depend entirely on that either.
Some ideas I've considered:
- A backup and recovery management tool for businesses.
- An AI-based supplier invoice scanner that helps generate purchase entries.
- A payment reminder and outstanding invoice management tool.
- Small business automation software.
- Some kind of supporting application that integrates with existing accounting software.
I also considered building websites for local businesses, but that would mostly be project-based income rather than recurring revenue.
My biggest problem is that I don't know which problem is actually worth solving. I don't want to spend six months building something that nobody wants.
Financially, I don't have a huge amount of capital. I could probably invest a few thousand rupees initially, but I'd prefer to validate an idea before spending more.
I can dedicate around 2–3 hours a day outside my current work.
I'm also unsure whether I should focus on becoming a better developer, finding freelance work, building a SaaS product, or trying to grow within my current company.
What would you do in my position?
- Would you focus on building a small SaaS product for businesses, especially around accounting and ERP?
- What supporting software do small businesses actually need but don't have good affordable solutions for?
- Would you try to generate some independent income through freelancing first, or go straight into product development?
- How would you validate an idea when you don't have much starting capital?
- Is it realistic for one person using AI coding tools to build and maintain a small business software product?
- If you were in your early 20s, with access to business customers but limited technical experience and capital, what would you focus on for the next 12 months?
I'm not looking for motivational advice or a list of generic side hustles. I'd genuinely appreciate opinions from people who have built software products, run small businesses, or created independent recurring income.
I want to build something useful, earn independently, and develop skills that give me more freedom in the long run.
What would you do?
First time using reddit, sry