Most financial planning tools show you a single path to retirement. Kyle Nolan built ProjectionLab because he saw a blind spot: what if your life doesn't follow the script? He started as a software engineer listening to ChooseFI on neighborhood walks, tinkering with a side project after hours. Now he runs the tool full-time, serving a community that shaped its development from the start. Brad sits down with Kyle to explore the messy middle between stability and risk—how to know when to jump, how to bootstrap without burning out, and why flexibility matters more than precision when you're planning decades ahead.
Kyle's Background and Career Start
Kyle transitioned from working as a software engineer to creating ProjectionLab, initially as a side project. He credits the ChooseFI podcast with giving him the courage to turn his idea into reality, listening to episodes during walks after work.
The Journey to Build ProjectionLab
Kyle bootstrapped ProjectionLab, growing it slowly and consistently before committing to it full-time. He emphasizes the value of building something useful over time rather than seeking external funding or rushing the process.
Mental Framework for Entrepreneurship
Kyle reflects on the mental shift required to leave a stable job and pursue a passion project. He realized in hindsight that he should have made the leap to full-time work on ProjectionLab sooner than he did.
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Community and User Feedback
User feedback has been critical in shaping ProjectionLab's features and direction. Kyle actively engages with the community through Discord, using their input to guide development and ensure the tool meets real-world needs.
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Future Plans for ProjectionLab
Kyle discusses potential team expansion and ongoing development. He remains focused on maintaining the tool's accuracy, reliability, and user-centric design while considering how to scale sustainably.
Notable Quotes:
- "I should have transitioned to full-time sooner for this project."
- "Effective tools with clear pricing create value for users."
- "Consistency in pursuing your passions leads to great outcomes."
- "We aimed to avoid deprivation on our path to financial independence."
- "Accuracy and reliability are paramount in financial planning."
Resources:
- ProjectionLab - Seven-day trial available
- ProjectionLab Discord community
Terms Explained:
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- Financial Independence (FI): The state of having sufficient personal wealth to live without having to work actively for basic necessities.
- Bootstrapping: Starting a business with little to no external funding; growing it through its own earnings.
- Sandbox: A testing environment where users can experiment with features without making permanent changes.