Post

I quit a comfortable $180k job three years ago to start a company. Here are 5 things I wish someone had told me before I handed in my notice:

1/ Your first idea is probably a feature, not a company. We spent 8 months building before realizing the buyer we wanted didn't budget for a standalone product. Market size matters more than how clever the tech feels.

2/ The emotional volatility is the real job. You can handle bad news; it's the whiplash—great call, then churn, then a funding scare in one afternoon—that grinds you down. Build routines, not just KPIs.

3/ Co-founder conflict is the #1 silent killer. Vesting, decision rights, and what happens if someone quits should be written down when you still like each other. Lawyers feel expensive until you need one.

4/ "Build in public" can become a performance that hides the work. We got more traction when we stopped posting updates and started talking to 50 customers a week. Distribution beats narrative.

5/ Most founder advice is survivorship-biased context. The playbook that got someone else there won't fit your market, stage, or temperament. Treat advice as data, not doctrine.

Quitting isn't brave or stupid—it's a trade. The real question isn't "do I have a good idea?" It's "can I endure the boring, unglamorous parts long enough to find out?" Three years in, still enduring.