

Screw it, I quit - anthonyrubin
http://abstractgeneratorfactory.blogspot.com/2008/06/screw-it-i-quit.html

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Xichekolas
"I have two backup plans (in case the first doesn't work), and I have no fewer
than three exit-strategies (how to get back into boring corporate land)."

Just be careful that those don't screw you. Nothing is more motivating than
the "oh my god I need to pay my rent and buy dinner but I have no money!"
feeling. Having backup plans and exit strategies can sabotage that.

But, as a fellow recent quitter myself, I have to admit that I also have my
own backup plan for when the money runs out... grad school. ;)

Congrats to all those that have quit recently, and to all those considering
it, just walk in and do it. I guarantee you'll be singing and skipping on the
way out.

I simply saved up six months expenses and gave my notice at a convenient time
in the project schedule at work (end of one project, before being put on
another one). No bridges to burn (I didn't have a lot of complaints about the
job, and the coworkers were great) so I have a standing offer for employment
in January (when the money runs out) should I need it. I just knew I'd never
be happy doing maintenance and rewrites in cubicle land.

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larryfreeman
Funny reading this. I just resigned today. No kidding.

If I had seen this post before resigning, perhaps I would have sent it instead
of the one I sent.

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mrtron
Congrats :)

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ucdaz
If not now, when? That was the question I asked myself over and over again. I
submitted my 3 month notice, and I'm going to following my dreams of creating
a solution to a business problem. Why 3 months? I was actually going to quit
sooner, but I just wanted to be nice and give my boss plenty of time to find a
replacement. However, don't get me wrong, I'm itching to leave and startup!
Life isn't about money folks! It's about following your passion!

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DenisM
Short and to the point.

How did others quit? Please share.

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ambition
First, I realized that there are two types of happiness relevant to a job.
There is happiness through satisfaction in what you have, and happiness
through greater achievement. I suspect these are actually personality traits.
Some people are good at being happy with what they've got. I'm not.

Then I realized I would never have happiness through satisfaction in my
current job. Even if I succeeded wildly and became a VP or CEO one day. At a
very deep level, I hate the feeling of disdain from entrepreneurs. Larry and
Sergey won't respect you in the morning, indeed.

Then I convinced myself that my full-time employment was not on a trajectory
that would bring me full happiness ever. And life is short.

Thus, the logical conclusion. Change is necessary.

I don't have cofounders, so I'll strike out on my own for a while and see what
I can build. I'll go to grad school and find cofounders.

Now, details. I talked my way into a good school long after application
deadlines. This satisfies important stakeholders such as my parents.

I gave myself enough unemployed time before school to be able to hack
something and test out how I work when I am my boss.

I saved a year's living expenses while employed. I moved to 50% less expensive
housing and cut other expenses.

I was diplomatic at work about my departure. I didn't burn bridges. I resisted
the temptation to vent about everything I thought was wrong about the company
and the job. If everything fails, I have a safety net that is only slightly
worse than if I didn't take the plunge. I gave my manager notice. I told him
my end date was flexible so he had a chance to deal with staffing issues and I
could wrap up work. It ended up being a month's notice. Not so long that I
waste a lot of time checked out, but long enough that it is a happy parting.

My last day is Friday.

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mrtron
I had a few major events in my life that woke me up to these same concepts.

" full-time employment was not on a trajectory that would bring me full
happiness ever. And life is short." - exactly.

Change is also very important to keep me going - and being pigeonholed in a
small role at work always frustrated me too. Glad to see it isn't just me!

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yaj
I hope I can say it too .... not now. I still have excuses.

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ambition
Let us help you eliminate the excuses.

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cconstantine
I have excuses also.. but I'd really rather not eliminate this excuse (getting
married, and need the money to pay for it) :)

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aditya
It's a pretty big lifestyle change, and what if ...you fail?!

You do need to prepare and then be able to live without the security that
comes with a full-time job.

It's not easy, but it is worthwhile.

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simianstyle
Well I didn't exactly resign, but the startup I work for is not going to get
it's 2nd round of financing...

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aditya
ouch! I hope you're looking around ...

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bastian
i love it. ;)

