Three years ago I was doing helpdesk tickets for $22/hour. Today I run my own IT business. Here's the stuff that actually mattered — not the LinkedIn highlight reel version.

1. You don't need a CS degree, or even a degree at all.

My first paying client didn't ask about credentials. They asked if I could fix their printer and stop their office WiFi from dropping every afternoon. That was the whole interview.

2. Certifications get you in the door, experience keeps you there.

A+ and Network+ were enough to sound credible on a first call. What actually got me referrals was showing up on time and explaining things in plain English instead of jargon.

3. Your first 5 clients come from people who already trust you.

Not cold outreach. Not ads. Friends of friends who run small businesses and are tired of their nephew "who's good with computers" ghosting them.

4. Recurring revenue is the whole game.

One-off repair jobs pay the bills. Managed service contracts ($200-500/mo per client for monitoring + support) are what actually let you hire help and stop trading hours for dollars.

5. The biggest bottleneck isn't technical skill — it's confidence.

Most people who could do this never start because they don't feel "expert enough." You don't need to know everything. You need to know more than the person asking for help, and know when to say "let me look into that."

If you're sitting on IT skills (or want to build them from zero) and thinking about going independent, happy to answer questions in the comments. I put together the exact roadmap I wish I had when I started — modules, client scripts, pricing sheets — over in The IT Playbook if you want the structured version.