Exodus Context
Exodus — Context
Last updated: 2026-04-01
Initiative Overview
Exodus is the Kinney family’s international relocation project — selling the house, leaving the W2, and moving to China to live with Yun’s parents while building location-independent income. Every automation built during the move becomes a case study for The Automator agency.
This isn’t a product. It’s an operational project with a clear end state (family relocated, nomad life active) that generates content and proof along the way.
Current state: Active planning. Timeline accelerated — targeting arrival in Ninghai, China by school year start (~September 1, 2026). Living with Yun’s parents eliminates the housing dependency. April 2026 is the critical month for proving DocProof/Automator growth to trigger W2 exit.
Key people:
- Adam Kinney — Logistics, automation, financial planning, business growth
- Yun Kinney — Research, family logistics, travel YouTube channel, decision-making partner. From Ninghai, China — parents live there.
The Plan
Route
- Ninghai, China (6–12 months) — Live with Yun’s parents. Acclimatize, build business, low cost of living.
- TBD location (~1 year) — Explore another country/region.
- Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina — Settle back in the US long-term.
Why Ninghai
- Yun’s parents live there — free housing, family support, familiar environment
- Removes the biggest blocker: no need to find/pay for housing abroad
- Low cost of living in a tier-3 Chinese city
- The sooner they arrive, the more time to acclimatize before school starts
The Strategic Shift
Where we are now
Family based in the US (Bellevue, WA area), Adam employed W2 at iSoftStone, house to sell, DocProof and Automator launching.
Where we want to be
Family in Ninghai by September 2026. House sold, profits in safe interest-bearing account generating passive income. W2 left behind. Income sustained by DocProof + Automator + house sale interest.
Dimensions of change
Employed → Independent. Accelerated timeline: leave iSoftStone once DocProof/Automator show positive growth (not waiting for $5K MRR). April 2026 is the prove-it month.
Rooted → Mobile. Sell the house. All infrastructure must work from China and beyond.
Quiet → Loud. Launch DocProof and Automator quietly in April. Once Adam can be public about the work, maximize growth while still in the US before departing.
Consumer → Documenter. Every step of the move is content: blog posts, YouTube videos, automation case studies.
Critical Constraints & Deadlines
| Constraint | Details | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| China visa | Adam’s visa expires Sep 28, 2026 | Must arrive before expiry. Need renewal/extension plan for stays beyond that date. |
| Green card | Yun must maintain US green card eligibility | Cannot be abroad indefinitely — need re-entry permit or travel planning to avoid abandonment. Typically must return within 1 year, or get a re-entry permit (good for 2 years) before departure. |
| School year | Chinese school year starts ~Sep 1, 2026 | Target arrival date. Workback schedule from here. |
| House sale | Must sell before departure | Profits into safe interest-bearing account. Tax optimization critical — explore primary residence exclusion ($250K single / $500K married). |
| April growth | DocProof + Automator must show positive growth | This is the W2 exit trigger. Launch quietly, prove traction. |
Workstreams
1. House Sale & Financial
- Sell the house — find agent, prep, list, close
- Tax optimization on sale profits (Section 121 exclusion: $500K married filing jointly if lived there 2+ of last 5 years)
- Put profits in safe interest-bearing vehicle (HYSA, T-bills, I-bonds, CD ladder)
- Calculate total passive income from house sale proceeds
- Emergency fund for transition period
- International banking setup (accessing US funds from China)
- Evaluate bank accounts — what to keep, what to close, what works internationally
1b. Business Structure
- Adam Kinney, LLC (WA-registered) with a DBA for DocProof — evaluate whether to keep WA registration or re-domicile
- WA pros: No state income tax, son in Bothell can serve as registered agent address
- WA cons: WA B&O tax applies to gross receipts (not profit) — still applies even if operating from abroad
- Alternatives: Wyoming (no income tax, no B&O, cheapest registered agent), Delaware (flexible but franchise tax), Nevada (no income tax but higher fees)
- Decision factors: where revenue is generated, nexus rules, registered agent costs vs son’s address, banking implications
- US address anchor: Adam’s adult son lives in Bothell, WA — will serve as mailing address for business, banking, green card, and legal purposes
2. Visa & Immigration
- Adam’s China visa renewal/extension plan (expires Sep 28, 2026)
- Yun’s green card maintenance — re-entry permit (I-131) must be filed BEFORE departure
- Research Ninghai-specific registration requirements for foreigners
- Kids’ documentation (if applicable)
3. W2 Exit & Business Growth
- April 2026: Launch DocProof and Automator quietly, show positive growth
- Once growth proven, give notice at iSoftStone
- Before going loud: maximize growth while still in US (networking, events, content)
- Two-week notice, clean exit
4. Logistics & Operations
- House prep and staging for sale
- Possessions: keep/store/sell/ship categories
- Mail forwarding / virtual mailbox (US address needed for green card, banking, etc.)
- Phone/communication setup (VPN, US number retention, WeChat setup)
- Ship essentials to Ninghai
5. Content & Documentation
- Document every automation built during the move
- Yun’s travel YouTube channel launches during/around the move
- “I automated our international relocation” = hero case study for The Automator
- Blog posts on aksite about the independence journey
Income Sources Post-Move
| Source | Type | Expected |
|---|---|---|
| DocProof | Product revenue | Growing |
| The Automator | Agency clients | $2K–$10K/mo per client |
| House sale interest | Passive (HYSA/T-bills) | TBD based on sale price |
| Yun’s YouTube | Future | Building |
Timeline (Workback from Sep 1, 2026)
| Phase | Timeframe | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Prove growth | April 2026 | DocProof + Automator launched quietly, showing positive traction |
| W2 exit | May–June 2026 | Give notice at iSoftStone once growth is proven |
| Go loud | May–July 2026 | Maximize growth publicly while still in US |
| House sale | April–July 2026 | List, sell, close on house. Tax-optimize proceeds. |
| Green card prep | April–May 2026 | File Yun’s re-entry permit (I-131) BEFORE departure |
| Visa planning | April–June 2026 | Confirm Adam’s visa validity, plan renewal if staying past Sep 28 |
| Pack & prep | July–August 2026 | Possessions sorted, essentials shipped, logistics finalized |
| Depart | Late August 2026 | Fly to Ninghai, arrive before school year starts |
| Acclimatize | Sep 2026+ | Settle in, continue building business from China |
The Flywheel Connection
Exodus feeds the broader Luky flywheel:
- The move generates real automation use cases
- Those automations become Automator case studies
- The YouTube channel generates content and audience
- The “independence journey” narrative feeds aksite personal brand
- House sale proceeds generate passive income
- All of it proves the thesis: AI automation enables location-independent life