
Is telling your employer you're quitting to launch a startup a bad idea? - jaed

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felipe
Years ago I faced the same issue. I decided to tell my boss and he actually
supported me with advice and mentorship (he ended up convincing me not to
quit, but that's another story...)

The first question that comes to my mind is: Do you really need to quit?
Having an income while you moonlight is a huge advantage, as you can survive
until your start-up is sustainable (and then quit your day job)

Second: Do you have enough savings to survive a year on your own? If not, keep
your current job, build your savings and then quit.

Third: Are you in good terms with your immediate manager? If yes, then do tell
him/her -- You might be able to even negotiate an alternative deal, like part-
time, contracting or something else. If not, then tell him/her only if asked.
In any case, it's certainly better to learn the news through you than through
someone else.

Obviously, what I wrote in this post does not apply if you and your employer
have a conflict of interests. If that's the case, I'd talk to a lawyer.

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mattjaynes
Fortunately I was working for a startup that had a great exit when it was
acquired. Since they were entrepreneurs themselves they were amazingly
supportive and I still go to the founders for guidance from time to time.

For more on this topic - I wrote a post on how to break up with a girlfriend
(or employer) that addresses how to not burn your bridges at:

<http://blog.nanobeepers.com/2007/04/05/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do/>

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gyro_robo
Don't tell them jack. Really. If they have a "we own your brain" employment
agreement, treat them as hostile.

Be polite, be friendly, but be very quiet about your plans.

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kyro
If it's to pursue what you love and have a passion for, then telling your
current employer your quitting to essentially pursue happiness should be
absolutely no big deal. :P

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staunch
I would keep pretty hush about it unless there's some real chance your
employer is going to say "Wow that's cool -- why don't you partner with me and
I'll invest $5M."

People can get petty and weird when they're jealous or angry.

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woot
Imagine your reaction when your employee does that to you when you start your
startup!

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jaed
Even if the startup has nothing to do with your current work.

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vlad
Why can't you launch it now?

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jaed
They own rights to what I create.

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vlad
Ask them to sign a form (user dhouston had done this) where they say that
projects you work on in your free time are your own copyright. It depends on
what you signed when you were hired. They may not own anything if you didn't
sign anything.

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JohnN
i think the standard approach is that u

1.cannot work on ur idea, during work time 2.u cannot start an idea that is a
direct competitor to ur companies business

if these two do not apply u shud be ok, but the laws are harsher here in the
uk. with non compete clauses etc

