This article simply ignores the fact that 37Signals was a thriving business before. they. launched. product. It could have taken them ten years for people to start paying for Basecamp. They would not have gone under.
Actually, he pretty much states that fact directly. 37signals already had the money to survive long term. This article specifically addresses people who think they can work on products full time without a plan for paying the bills for 12 to 18 months (or maybe longer), because its going to take that long to start a business from scratch and generate significant revenues.
They did not have the money to survive long term. They had a business that generated cash flows. There's a huge difference. They didn't inherit it.
My point is, you can do the exact same thing. If you have the talent, consult. Tens of thousands of developers spend their entire lives freelancing. Consulting dev work is not a crazy pipe dream. Now, instead of dropping all your 1099 wages into your bank account, create an LLC, get it an ING account, and send your money there. Hire. BANG. Now you're a business. Go do something cool.
Sounds sensible, but... how common is it, really? If it isn't, what's the missing ingredient that makes it a difficult transition that many people never seem to accomplish?
