You all need to understand that different people have different pathway. What might be a comfortable scenario that many do in often similar way, is not for everyone. Some people feel comfortable with androgynous phase (hell, I had androgynous phase for all my life before transition...), some people feel comfortable with going full-time very early, (some even years before hormones) and can deal with not being passable for one or two or more years, while they do their best to learn and improve make-up, experiment with wigs and hair, etc... While some people really don't feel comfortable with even the idea of being unpassable, and choose the different path, maybe one that would follow something like this (just an example): HRT for 3-4 years, staying in completely "male mode" the whole time, without much if any trans(ition) related disruptions, staying in well paid job and saving money, slow coming-out process kept around close family & friends, completely finished all body and facial hair related issues... and then, when the time is right: Quit job, FFS, Voice surgery, SRS, breast augmentation, body feminization (+recovery time) ... follow by change of documents, relocation to a different area/city/country, and live stealth and happily ever after. I know of a few such cases, I'm shure there are many more. So different people have a different needs, and choices to make. Just because many choose to have gradual transition, from male mode, through unpassable phase, to sometimes passable, to almost passable, to really passable, it doesn't mean this is the way everybody feels comfortable with. Many don't, I also didn't. I stayed in my comfortable androgynous mode for until I finished a battle with facial hair, and until I became comfortable enough with my body, despite that I was most of the time gendered female by everyone I met. Then after I knew it's the time, I ditched my "lesbian look" (how my friends described it), went "full-time", and wasn't stared at or clocked since by anybody. I later had FFS for my own reasons, and just in case if maybe someday I want to grow bushy eyebrows, cut my hair completely short with a machine, bring out my hidden "lesbian" clothes and still be percieved as cis-female by everyone (maybe a little crazy cis-female). What I'm trying to say, what works for you, might not work for me, or someone else. The only thing that matter is to not rush anything just for the sake of doing it.. do it when you feel comfortable doing it, and in a way that you feel is the right way.