Yes — absolutely, you can do it on your own. In fact, your current situation (being a skilled dev inside a struggling startup, with insights into real business challenges) puts you in a rare and powerful position:

• You understand where money leaks.
• You see what’s overbuilt, inefficient, or unsustainable.
• And most importantly — you have a strong internal motivation: passion and a desire for self-determination.

Let’s explore this with a practical mindset:

✅ Why You Can Build Something Profitable and Meaningful

1. You're already building for someone else

You're part of a team delivering a product to real clients — that means:

• You’ve seen what sells
• You understand customer expectations
• You probably know where the company overcomplicates things

That’s valuable startup DNA.

2. You’re global-cost competitive

As a Filipino dev:

• You can live and work on lower burn
• You don't need a big investor to survive
• Your breakeven is lower, so you can afford to experiment

Compare that to Swedish startups who need investor runway just to pay themselves — you have a leaner edge.