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Not sure if this is your first 6 months in the working world or not. I'm guessing that it is. I'm not trying to discourage you from leaving, but I wanted to offer some perspective. If your startup is indeed rapidly growing, I think it is invaluable to see the growth first hand. Only a fraction of startups really see true rapid growth. Having that first hand experience will give you some perspective when hopefully, one day, your startup experiences that growth. Additionally, when interviewing at the "big hot startups", I think it's a major plus to have seen that growth somewhere else. But be honest with yourself if it's real, rapid growth, and not just some vanity metrics. Secondly, I share some concerns that if you're burned out after your workday now, that quitting to do your own thing is going to be better. However, I can certainly empathize and understand that it is possible, but harder, to build a product part time at night. To hedge your risk, you should find that idea that you're really excited about, commit to getting an MVP and some traction to prove to yourself that you have an idea, and then quit. While doing so, keep your responsibilities and cost of living structure low. Don't sign a new bigger apartment while you're getting a salary. Also, I'm not sure if you've thought about how long you can live without a salary. Do you need to supplement your ramen profitable startup with any extra income (contracting or otherwise?) If that's necessary, you'll need to spend time getting work and doing the work. I personally dislike contract/consulting work. I could never mental hack my way into feeling ownership of it. I've learned I'd rather work at a product company and work on something on the side, than do a startup "full time" while part time consulting to cover bills. Your preferences may be different. Remember that startups are really hard. I've been through it to an acquihire, and I've had friends that were acquired for tens of million of dollars. And when I talk to them, I'm reminded that even though they're doing well, it's really hard. I absolutely think it's worth it if you're willing to bet on yourself. Feeling like you've hit a ceiling at work and that you're only learning from yourself, sometimes can be fixed. Talk to your manager. Let them know. Maybe there's more responsibility for you. If you strike out on your own, guess who you'll have to learn from. Just you again. While joining a large community of people working on their own startup is fun, it's also lonely. No one cares about your startup more than you. |