These days the effort required to get a well-paying programming job is more or less equivalent to the effort required to start your own business. If you can start a business. It's worth a shot. Worst-case scenario, the business fails and you are back on the job market but you can use your startup as a demonstration of your capability to deliver on projects that require time and dedication. You will also grow and learn a lot and be in a much better position than your competition.