* I planned to exit the company months in advance.
* Signed two clients
* I was a director of a small development team. I architected much of the company's critical infrastructure (most importantly, credit card/payment processing) and knew that I could leverage my knowledge to negotiate an advisory contract.
* Put in my notice
* Signed ex employer as my third client with weekly payment and a two month minimum. They obviously could have broken the minimum agreement, but kept me on until I severed the contract several months later. Weekly payment was key.
A little strategy can go a long way, but obviously it could have turned out much differently for me. And as noted, this is purely anecdotal. While four months buffer is generally wise, it is not de facto necessary.
To shed some more light on my strategy:
* I planned to exit the company months in advance.
* Signed two clients
* I was a director of a small development team. I architected much of the company's critical infrastructure (most importantly, credit card/payment processing) and knew that I could leverage my knowledge to negotiate an advisory contract.
* Put in my notice
* Signed ex employer as my third client with weekly payment and a two month minimum. They obviously could have broken the minimum agreement, but kept me on until I severed the contract several months later. Weekly payment was key.
A little strategy can go a long way, but obviously it could have turned out much differently for me. And as noted, this is purely anecdotal. While four months buffer is generally wise, it is not de facto necessary.