Out of IT and into Audio business - Have you done it?

Erik,
Keep it as a hobby,with maybe the occasional speaker build or Etc.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Kenny.

@noromance , you've just successfully proved my point, but sister ain't enough.

@czarivey Ha ha! So true! But I would sell my sister to get out of the pain of IT and into the joy of making a living in high-end audio. 

I’ve had my feet in both on and off over the past 20 years...

At times, I’ve wished audio would take the lead. But IT has inevitably done a night and day better job at putting food on the table and money in the bank account. In fact, it allowed my pipe dream of hitting the lottery and retiring before 50 without actually hitting the lottery. And with 2 years to spare. I can’t see a life in audio providing much outside of needing to work at least another 20 years.

To provide a little background on my audio side, I wasn’t a kid who built a pair of loudspeakers in the garage, then declared myself someone in the audio business. I began at a tiny video rental joint in a nondescript strip mall that quickly came (incredible and funny story) to make more than half of PSB’s flagship Stratus Gold i loudspeakers USA sales, then to a principal at Fried loudspeakers, then the North American importer for Opera Audio / Consonance, and then bringing in Shuguang and Psvane tubes for Americans and Canadians at less than a quarter of the price of those who claimed to have monopoly on the them did. Along the way, building a real dealer network, providing repairs, creating buzz, getting reviews, winning Blue Moon and Brutus awards, and proving a Chinese audio company could compete with any from Asia, Europe, or North America. Good enough that when I gave them up, they went back in the broom closet, and now get by through OEM for other brands.

Happy to talk offline and share experience, good, bad, or ugly

Once, when I was buying a digital performance keyboard to augment my 7’ Baldwin grand, the salesman asked me what I did for a living. I told him I could have been a performing musician or a physician that played music on the side (which is what I did).  His response?  Good move. Do what you are the best at so you can enjoy life. I love medicine. I love music more. Audio is ephemeral. Engineering is ever changing and always in demand. Let it feed your passion. It’s simpler and less stressful. Good luck in whatever path you choose. Live long and prosper. 

+1 @teo_audio

(place large complicated story here)

Best to stay in IT, is the end result.

Audio.... you've got to love it to the bones, in order to get into it.  For most who are in it, the money is never really there.

Especially when the market is down in all areas.

The companies that are established are doing ok, in some cases, or if they have something new.

Extreme audio, or audio that is real, but not necessarily expensive, is never gong to do well.

Mediocre gear does better in sales than best gear. It's just the way the bell curve is shaped, nothing can be done about it.

10 years ago it was easier than it is now. Hard as that may be to believe.

The western/ petrodollar economy is running on the ghost of fumes (never mind fumes) and is ready for a hard reset.

Best to stay away from risk...

Erik,
Quit dreaming before you learn any unwanted lesson(s).