I Quit My CTO Job to Work on My Own Projects

After five and a half incredible years as CTO at a startup, I’ve decided to take the leap into the unknown and work on my own projects. It’s been an amazing journey helping digitize the personal development space—think Tony Robbins, BJ Fogg, James Clear, meditation CDs, all repackaged into apps for today’s world. Over time, our focus evolved, but the heart of it stayed the same: helping people achieve their goals and find life balance. I love the company and the people I worked with, and we accomplished a lot together. But lately, that itch to build something on my own has grown too strong to ignore.

Today marks the start of a new chapter: I’m launching Ultimate Machine as a solo founder. It will be a company managing a suite of software products and services. Right now, there’s about $350-$400 of MRR coming from past online projects, which isn’t quite enough to cover my living expenses here in Sweden just yet. While I could work part-time, I know that anything less than full focus—whether 80%, 50%, or even 25%—won’t get me into the zone where I can create products people truly love. It takes deep, distraction-free work.

The timing feels right. I’m confident in my skills and fortunate to have some investments to fall back on, so I’m ready to take this big career risk. I’m committing up to three years to make this work—either my savings run out, or I strike gold with software.

The Growth Masterplan

So how do I plan to turn this tiny spark into a thriving business? The focus isn’t on money just yet—there’s no financial goal for 2020. Instead, I’m aiming for growth through building a consistent process. My confidence comes from knowing that money will follow when you take lots of small, smart steps in the right direction.

As a former trader, I think of my time like an investment. I allocate it where I expect the best return, balancing low-risk steady bets with smaller, riskier ones that could pay off big. Here’s where my time will go:

• Prioritizing sleep, daily exercise, eating well, and avoiding negativity. Staying healthy is the foundation that keeps everything else running smoothly.
• Fueling creativity through curiosity. Learning new things keeps my mind sharp and ideas flowing, but only when paired with focus and drive.
• Building software products I’m passionate about. This is where the magic happens. I’ll stay flexible, kill what doesn’t work, and solve real problems that excite me.
• Writing and sharing knowledge. Putting my thoughts out there keeps me accountable and helps others learn along the way. I’ll avoid the trap of chasing likes or status and focus on honest, meaningful connection.
• Networking. It’s not my strongest suit, but I’m making time for it—both online and face-to-face. Meeting new people can open doors and make this journey less lonely.
• Marketing. Getting real users is a thrill. I’ll dedicate time to marketing alongside building, using writing, sharing, and networking to spread the word.

These areas aren’t set in stone, but I’ll adjust my focus as needed. Patience and persistence are key, and if I stick to this plan with drive and discipline, great things will follow. Friends, money, or followers—it’s all secondary right now.

Next Steps

February’s almost over, and March marks the real beginning of this journey. Until then, I’m focused on getting this website live and taking a few days off to recharge. My girlfriend and I had plans to attend Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but it was canceled due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). On the bright side, we’ve got extra time to explore the city—so if you know any hidden gems, send them my way!

In March, I’ll dive back into tayl.app for some maintenance—updating EU VAT rates, fixing bugs, and adding a couple of features. After that, I’ll start building a B2B SaaS service in the same space as TAYL. More on that soon!

Since January 1st, I’ve logged 317 km — through rain, storms, and two very tired pairs of shoes. Running daily helps me build grit and mental resilience, which I know will pay off in all my projects.

If you want to follow along as I mix grit, creativity, and a furious shipping cadence, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Twitter. It’s going to be a wild ride.