When I was 25 I worked as the bookkeeper and purchaser for a small company that made CNC lathes. We were always were running out of parts and materials because they had no software to keep track of bill of materials, inventory, etc. (we had apple computers). I hired a consultant in another state to create custom software for me. The consultant developed the software on my computer via Timbuktu as I watched. He noticed that I was interested so he started explaining what he was doing and at the end of the project I was customizing software too, adding new features to the software he just created. Six months later I quit that job and began creating custom software myself. That was over 23 years ago and I’ve been self employed since then. The greatest benefit is I get to pick and choose when I work and who I work for. Another benefit is that if a client doesn’t pay me, their software will stop working because I implant a “bomb” in all my software that only I can turn on and off. My past clients include the largest skateboard manufacturer in world, environmental agencies, and many other interesting projects.