"After graduating from the University of Washington in Tacoma with a degree in computer science, Barone could not bring himself to pursue a job at Microsoft, Google or Amazon. Instead, he took a part-time job at a Seattle theater and spent the rest of his time building a video game. He was living in his parent’s basement. Some weeks, he’d spend as much as 60 hours working on the game.
Barone eventually moved in with his girlfriend, Amber Hageman, who paid most of the bills. Barone stuck with his plan. He learned to put on a mask of confidence for friends and family. He knew that if he game wasn’t a success, he’d squander the trust and hope his loved ones placed in his dream."[1]
So he relied on first his parents, and then his girlfriend, to heavily subsidize him for 4 years. It ended up paying off in this instance, of course, but most people don't have this luxury.
And it doesn't always pay off, either. I've seen firsthand many a game that seemed like it would be a success fail once it hit the market.
Barone eventually moved in with his girlfriend, Amber Hageman, who paid most of the bills. Barone stuck with his plan. He learned to put on a mask of confidence for friends and family. He knew that if he game wasn’t a success, he’d squander the trust and hope his loved ones placed in his dream."[1]
So he relied on first his parents, and then his girlfriend, to heavily subsidize him for 4 years. It ended up paying off in this instance, of course, but most people don't have this luxury.
And it doesn't always pay off, either. I've seen firsthand many a game that seemed like it would be a success fail once it hit the market.
[1]: https://www.knkx.org/other-news/2017-03-25/this-man-committe...