@Garry Pettet ; like others said, I would suggest you stay on your field, maybe dial down your hours a bit and invest the time in your family and your passion (i.e. Xojo). Let your job pay for your passion since it seems you are already well established and are not looking for moving up in the medical world anymore. In my kids school we have a person in the medical profession (surgeon specializing in knee and joint replacements) that was savvy at coding and started doing iOS apps when they started getting to be in vogue. He started with apps for his “entertainment” and then built into apps that made his work way easier. Some colleagues liked what they saw, started using them, word spread around, and now he has 2-3 apps that at used by many on the field (extra income out of something he considered a hobby, paid by in full by the job, in which case he does happen to like - but not love).
Knowing how to code is only a [small] part of the programmer job. Learning how to sell yourself is something without which you will not be able to sustain yourself.
Keep your day job until you master every aspect of the independent developer trade.
It’s pretty hard to “master every aspect” of a new trade while also working a demanding day job. Have a plan, for sure, but sometimes you just have to make a leap of faith.
Becoming self-employed is a major undertaking. It isnt just the project, creating an app, advertising, selling, tax etc., it affects the whole family, and private health insurance is expensive. And lets not forget your retirement planning. Also be warned that if you stay at home all of a sudden it is YOU who has to deal with the household, the shopping, repairs, kids, etc because you have time or at least can easily make time also when you think your kids finally require less of your care that your parents will reach the age where they require MORE of your time
Youll also go stir-crazy at home, quickly loosing contacts as your colleagues and workmates no longer fit with your social calendar (because you dont have one anymore!) and social skills go down accordingly.
If you can build up a business on the side, great, just be aware that youll basically be working two full-time jobs then, and that youll have LESS time for yourself and family.
The one thing I am always aware of it is that paradoxically I had MUCH more time when I was working an 80+ hours a week job, because now EVERYTHING and EVERYONE seems to depend on me for a lot of cr@p I dont even want to know and for example telling computer-illiterate friends and relatives that you dont have time to fix their computer problems even if they offer to pay you $50 (because thats all they can afford) will quickly make you the bad guy
Working at home = Living at work 
I’ve read through this thread with some interest, hoping someone would suggest the old “scratch your own itch!” approach. You are in a bit of a unique situation dealing in healthcare, with all the laws surrounding privacy as well as the futility of moving a million-pound gorilla of bureaucracy.
However, I’m certain that as a radiologist you have had ideas for ways to improve aspects of your day-to-day job, and while you may not be able to get access to the data you need to test your ideas through the current system, there MUST be a way to get a hold of good research data. For instance: you must have gone through some extensive schooling - are you still in touch with anyone from school who may have access to research trial data?
Could you approach a radiology department at a university with the old "I’ve got an idea… " pitch, and see if they can help you get access to either existing data or volunteers willing to provide data?
In short: Your radiology knowledge/expertise will be one of your best assets to exploit as you contemplate moving into software - but you may have to think pretty far outside the box to make it happen.
Best of luck!
The issue with Medical Imaging, especially in the UK, is everything in the NHS moves extremely slow and everyone I have ever been on a project with is afraid to make independent decisions without going through multiple trust. In addition, working for a PACS vendor, the software they are selling is very much based on their original design from the 90s / 2000s without much changes in which is continued to be pushed as the next greatest thing… and dont get me started on VNAs…
Any who… with the above said, I have worked the professional services side of a PACS for over a decade and I would say that it would be a good mix between technical / clinical that would be right up your alley. In other words… if you are able to work the Vendor and /or Consulting side… you could offer your wares as solutions to their problems.
Remember… there will always be a gap between Clinical and IT when it comes to PACS… Very few people can speak both and you would be a good fit to bridge these connections. This would be a great way to brand your name to other hospitals and vendors in the industries that require custom solutions.
Hi Garry
I lead a team of Xojo developers at a company based in Plymouth.
We have vacancies available and would love to talk to you.
If that is potentially of interest, would you drop me an email?
All the best
Tom
Scratching your own itch is a path worth following, particularly (as others have already mentioned) when the itch is in a field where you have specialized knowledge - there is a lot of value in being a subject matter expert.
I fully agree with @Eugene Dakin on starting while you have a day job. I also fully agree with @Markus Winter that if you take that approach you will initially have less time for your family. But in the end it all comes down to what you want your life to be, and what you are willing to do to get there.
You will need a passion and a purpose for whatever it is that you are pursuing. Passion will lead you to a high level of excellence in your work, and purpose will lead you through the rough spots.
@Cliff Antrim
I could not have said it better. Passion, purpose, faith and above all determination to succeed in whatever people do lead to success. However I like to add that the road to success is sometimes a very bumpy difficult road. It is fallen and raising again. The road of an entrepreneur is not going over roses.
I found creativity and passion goes hand in hand. When being passionate about something, you see things which others do not see. People hang on too much on things they are used too. Many times it is better to explore uncharted fields. Going boldly where nobody has gone before, where did we hear this saying? When the need is high, you can more than you think about yourself.
I am in the same situation as Garry Pettet with the exception that I like my daytime job but want to live permanently with my family in Botswana. Before and after my daytime job (in Belgium) I am working for our own company in Botswana. A normal workday last for about 16 hours. During weekends it is not much better, always busy with something. You never are finished, there is always something coming up. If I was not passionate believing and determined I would long time ago given up.
If you can put your heart and soul in developing with Xojo, that is the way to go for you. Not the tool is important but the craftsman using it makes the difference. Despite some shortcomings, Xojo is a very good tool to start your business around. People here know how frustrated I can be sometimes about Xojo, however despite some frustrations I like to use it very much and always finish my creations succesfully.
Hope you will find what you are looking for.
Chris
9-5 jobs as employee can be dull.
Entrepreneurship is never dull. Everyday you get at least a new issue to solve 
[quote=385733:@Michel Bujardet]9-5 jobs as employee can be dull.
Entrepreneurship is never dull. Everyday you get at least a new issue to solve ;)[/quote]
May you live in interesting times! old Chinese curse
If you want to pay the bills via a software development job that isn’t a 9 to 5 job “working for the man”, your options are probably:
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Design, implement, sell, and support your own software. The only way you’re going to support yourself in this era of no-one wanting to pay for software is either develop something cool and appealing that hasn’t been done before and sell it to a million people for $3 a pop (horizontal market), or develop something deep, complex and useful for some kind of professional and sell a thousand copies at $1000 a pop. Both are really difficult.
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Be a software consultant. You’ll be charging a lot per hour, but you’ll spend most of your time trawling for new business.
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Be a contract programmer (i.e. “work for the man” but on your own terms). If you can find a good gig, this is probably the least stressful. However you’ll probably be working on something deathly boring involving accounting, databases, reports, etc.
I tried (1) and it pays consistently, but nowhere near the levels mentioned above. (2) is too stressful for an introvert like me. (3) is doable and I make a living, but it’s not particularly satisfying.
Im a Scientist at heart, and an idealist. Science has never been a job for me (a way to earn money), but a Beruf (a profession, comes from Berufung = a calling). And I still want to make the World a better place, so doing something meaningful has always been more important to me than earning lots of money. Simply writing software that I consider unimportant would be the same as sitting in an office all day - highly depressing.
Job satisfaction seems to be very important to you too. You are not fulfilled in your current job. But how fulfilled will you be writing software that you do not feel passionate about? Writing code for fun and pleasure is not the same as writing code for making a living. So before you even think about HOW you earn a living, first figure out what it is you REALLY want to do with the rest of your life
Hey Garry, I’ve sent you a PM. We should talk!
Although either I’m being an idiot or my private topics are being deleted so shrug
I would echo Michel’s, Eugene’s and Bob’s advice. You can be the best, most proficient programmer/developer in the world but if you can’t market your skills you will never get off the ground. I think this is especially important for consultants. You have to be socially adept in your communication and know how to market (web, blogs, etc.). Not everyone is comfortable with this. There are many books, blogs, and podcasts out there to help fine tune these skills, but without them you will be going to battle with a rubber band as your only weapon.
I would suggest you think of an app, any app, that provides some useful purpose. On one hand something specific that caters to a specific niche limits your potential market, but you will know who your market is and know how to target them. Start off small so if it’s a blowout you don’t loose your house - do this while your still employed.
Personally, for you I would avoid the consultant route for right now until you hone your skills. Also, you can do the app on nights and weekends while your employed, there is little risk involved. Trying to hold down a full time job and doing consulting is not a good recipe for success if you have demanding clients.
Your a radiologist. What about a training app for new aspiring radiologist to help them through their certifications? This merges your expertise with your new passion and you get to try out your marketing skills, etc. You might make some money in the process.
Good luck - and keep us posted! We love a success story!
Ah, but it can be!
My recommendation would be make this decision carefully with a plan. Don’t just wing it. First step is to get your current finances in order. Get out of debt and pare down your expenses as much as possible. Save every spare dime with a goal of how much you need to start your software business. Once you have a nest egg, you’ll be more free to explore your options.
While you’re doing that, do research on projects you could do and their potential incomes. All the suggestions here are great. Write programs for your own industry is a terrific idea. Even if you don’t have ideas of your own, talk to colleagues and bosses and ask what they need. I bet they’d come up with a number of useful tools they could use. Some might even be very simple to create.
While you have to be very careful about doing too much work for free, consider doing a tiny project or two as a demonstration of your skill. Doing something small for a charity can be a way of getting something on your resume. Just make sure you’re very clear about the limits of your work and that you won’t go beyond them. (Like I once did some graphic design for a church, and since they weren’t paying, they decided to go through endless changes and revisions, and I had to be firm and say “This is all you’re getting. Take it or leave it.”)
Ideally you can end up with at least one good client or income-generating project before you quit your day job. You should also have that nest egg that will give you at least six months worth of income (a year might be better). I’d also come up with a plan B (like getting your old job back), if your software business doesn’t go as planned.
There’s no way to eliminate all risk, but minimize as much as you can. Buy some books on self-employment and running your own business – those are very helpful teaching you about accounting, budgeting, billing clients, taxes, time management, etc.
Like the best tip I ever got was not undercharging. When you’re starting out it’s easy to feel like you’re charging too much, but if you go cheap you’ll resent the project and the client. Don’t be afraid to lose a job because you’re charging too much. Charge what you need to live and what’s fair for your market. Taking a job for less will ruin you.
I can say that being an indie has its rewards and pitfalls. But the income can vary quite a bit. Maybe I should look for a steady programming gig. I’m good with Xojo now.