Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
A lot of people ask what it’s actually like to work for yourself. I shared my take a few weeks ago, but it’s always refreshing to hear someone else’s lived reality. My friend @ShawhinTalebi built an incredible AI education community and now teaches full-time, just like we do at Towards AI. And his experience? Surprisingly similar to mine.
When he transitioned from being a data scientist at Toyota to becoming an entrepreneur, he realized something big: the work stays almost the same — you’re still building, managing projects, solving problems. But the job changes. Because suddenly, around 33% of your time is spent on something you never worry about as an employee: client acquisition.
As your brand and company grow, your role shifts. You move from hands-on engineering to consulting, then to managing others, and eventually… you become a salesperson. Your main job becomes finding opportunities, closing deals, and keeping the business alive.
It’s still incredibly rewarding — but it’s a different game.
I’m Louis-François, PhD dropout, now CTO & co-founder at Towards AI. Follow me for tomorrow’s no-BS AI roundup 🚀
#entrepreneurship #ai #aieducation
A lot of people ask what it’s actually like to work for yourself. I shared my take a few weeks ago, but it’s always refreshing to hear someone else’s lived reality. My friend @ShawhinTalebi built an incredible AI education community and now teaches full-time, just like we do at Towards AI. And his experience? Surprisingly similar to mine.
When he transitioned from being a data scientist at Toyota to becoming an entrepreneur, he realized something big: the work stays almost the same — you’re still building, managing projects, solving problems. But the job changes. Because suddenly, around 33% of your time is spent on something you never worry about as an employee: client acquisition.
As your brand and company grow, your role shifts. You move from hands-on engineering to consulting, then to managing others, and eventually… you become a salesperson. Your main job becomes finding opportunities, closing deals, and keeping the business alive.
It’s still incredibly rewarding — but it’s a different game.
I’m Louis-François, PhD dropout, now CTO & co-founder at Towards AI. Follow me for tomorrow’s no-BS AI roundup 🚀
#entrepreneurship #ai #aieducation
