The journey of a solopreneur in AI Design

Hi dear designer,

Welcome to the very first notes of my weekly newsletter (you may be wondering why now, well I finally decided to start writing), this newsletter is where I document my journey of building a solo remote company, Narius Design. Every Sunday, I'll share insights, challenges, and lessons learned as I navigate the world of productized services. Let's dive right in!

Recently, social media has been buzzing with the idea that starting a solo company or productized service is as simple as following a few steps. Bazinga! Instant success, right? Well, not quite. The reality is far more complex. Most solopreneurs face numerous challenges, such as:

• How to start a productized service?

• How to run a company remotely?

• How to find clients?

• How do you keep clients after you find them?

• How do we manage client expectations?

• How to pay taxes for a remote company?

The hardest part about becoming a freelancer or solo entrepreneur is starting. On paper, it sounds daunting: coming up with a name, making it legal, building a portfolio, setting up a bank account, marketing yourself, getting clients, creating proposals, and finally, doing the design work you’re offering. Damn, that’s a lot.

Let’s be real. It’s stressful just thinking about it. That’s why so many potential solopreneurs keep putting it off—they get buried in the details they think they need to figure out first. But here’s the thing: you could start right now. You don’t need everything to be perfect.

Running a design-as-a-service business isn’t for everyone. Every freelancer or solopreneur learns how to run a business by trial and error. There are many reasons why people want to start their own venture. For some, it’s about making more money than a full-time job. For others, it’s about having more free time to spend with family and friends. And for some, it’s about having the flexibility to travel more often, surf, and see new places and cultures.

The most important thing is that you’re putting yourself out there, getting work, and getting paid in whatever way works best for you—not how some article, YouTube video, or even this newsletter tells you to. Do what works for you.

No matter what you read or hear, there are several ways to freelance. I’ll share my opinions and lessons from other freelancers, but remember, everyone’s map is different. I’m just here to help you read your map in the fastest possible way.

Stay tuned for more insights next Sunday as I continue to document my journey of building Narius Design. Let’s embark on this adventure together!

I truly hope this will help you somehow or inspire you to get started with your solopreneur and scape the 9-to-5.

Best,

Jackson