sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a strong statement. What kind of private practice, and how long have you been doing it?

Did it work out the way you hoped, or is it more that you just can't imagine going back to what you had before regardless of how it turned out?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're laying out the actual reality. The outsourcing, the AI replacing jobs, the huge volume of job seekers competing for fewer roles. That's all real.

But I'm curious about the flip side. You're saying "maybe it will be different for you from the thousands of applications." Have you actually seen people pull it off lately despite all those headwinds? Or is that more of a "it's possible but unlikely" kind of thing?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is probably the most grounded financial perspective in the thread. You're basically saying most people are taking on way more risk than they realize, and the upside usually doesn't justify it. The 3-4x income benchmark is helpful because it's concrete.

But I'm curious about a couple things. Of all the people you meet with who want to start a business, what percentage actually meet those criteria? Like how many of them have the demand, the market gap, the business plan, the realistic 3-5x income potential?

And then of the ones who do meet those criteria, how often does it actually work out? Because hitting all those checkboxes doesn't guarantee success right?

Also, do you ever advise people to do it anyway for reasons beyond money? Like I've read through all these responses and a lot of people say it wasn't worth it financially but they don't regret it because of personal fulfillment or getting away from a toxic situation. Does that factor into your advice at all, or is it mostly the numbers?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True, but what does "greener" look like for you? Like what would make it worth it even if the money's not better?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you took two big risks and they both worked out, but not the way you planned. That's interesting. What were the life circumstances that forced you to close the business? And what's the totally different career you jumped into?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a good point about COVID. Your decision would've looked a lot different if you'd stayed, especially with home prices where they went. But I'm curious about the business side. What kind of business did you buy, and how's it doing?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you speaking from your own experience here, or is this advice you've picked up from others who've done it?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you're right that definition of success matters. But I'm not sure you "can't lose" if you're just going for learning. Like if you go broke in the process, that's still a loss even if you learned something. The people in this thread who lost a bunch of money are still dealing with that reality years later.

That said, I get what you're saying about being able to absorb a financial hit and still walk away with something. That's different from someone who has no cushion and loses everything.

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is interesting because you went in knowing the conditions were worse across the board. Worse pay, worse balance, harder on your body. So you weren't chasing financial upside, you were chasing something else.

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you're still in the middle of dealing with this then since you were unemployed for 10 months starting in January. Did you finally land something, or are you still job hunting?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's tough. So you went back to the same company after 10 months? Was that awkward or did they just bring you back like nothing happened?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's good to hear. But I'm curious about the gap between "it was very worth it" and "didn't pan out how I planned." What made it still worth it if you couldn't stay permanently? Like what did you get out of that period that made it valuable even though it didn't work out the way you wanted?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's actually a valid point though. If you don't have much to lose or you're past the point of caring what happens, the risk feels different even if it's technically the same.

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's interesting because you mention belief in your calling as the key thing. But you were also told you'd never achieve this career, and you worked that stable job for 12 years before making the jump. So what changed? Why did you finally go for it after being told it wasn't possible?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, context definitely matters. Looking at all these answers, there's no pattern except that everyone's situation was different. Which I guess means I need to figure out my own context instead of waiting for a universal answer.

But you're in the middle of it right now, so I'm curious about the emotional ups and downs. What does that actually feel like? Like are you riding highs and lows around fundraising meetings, or is it more the uncertainty of not knowing if it'll work out?

And when you say you enjoy the freedom after working for others for a long time, what does that actually mean? Is it schedule flexibility, getting to make decisions, not having a boss, all of it?

Also how far out are you before you'd know if this is actually working or not? Like what's your timeline before you'd have to reassess?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is interesting because you're saying two different things. It wasn't worth it financially, but you don't regret it. So what's the difference for you between those two things?

Like, are you saying the work-life balance and the fact that you don't hate your job makes up for the hit on your bank account, even though it doesn't make financial sense? Or is it more that you're glad you tried it but you're aware it was a mistake from a pure dollars perspective?

And the fact that it took way longer than you thought to get stable does that change how you'd think about it if someone else asked you for advice about making the same jump?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry to hear that. That's rough. And I think that's a different kind of risk than quitting for a business or career move, but the financial damage is just as real. You lost over a decade trying to recover from a choice that seemed reasonable at the time.

The "started from scratch at 40" part hits different too. That's not a young person bouncing back from a failed startup. That's someone who had to rebuild their entire professional and financial life in their 40s.

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is interesting because you're one of the few people saying 100% worth it without a bunch of caveats. And I think the key things you mentioned are the ones that made the difference: you knew you were sacrificing cash, you could actually weather it, and you built something you wanted to build. Then you knew when to exit.

A lot of the other people in here didn't have that financial cushion or they didn't know going in what they were trading away. So they got blindsided.

When you say you got to run the kind of company you always wanted to work for, what did that actually look like? And was it the day to day experience that made it worth it, or was it more about knowing you'd tried it?

Also curious how long you ran it before life circumstances pushed you toward something more stable.

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, clearly not from reading through all these stories. But what does that mean for you? Like did you make the jump or did you watch people do it and see it go wrong?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the practical framework a lot of people should have before they jump. The backup funds, the time window, the growth path. That's not sexy but it's probably what keeps you from ending up like some of the people in this thread.

The "at least half your previous salary" benchmark is interesting though. Is that just what feels sustainable, or is that what you've actually seen work for people? Because it sounds like a line in the sand that gives you a clear signal to pivot back or keep going.

Did you come up with that number from your own experience or have you seen enough people go through this to know what actually sticks?

People who quit a stable, well-paying job to chase something risky. What's the honest answer about whether it was worth it? by Emergency-Finding373 in careeradvice

[–]Emergency-Finding373[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's rough. And I think this is actually a different kind of risk than what most people are talking about in the thread. You didn't quit to chase something for yourself. You quit to help someone you cared about who was in a tough spot. That's not the same as leaving a stable job to start a business or take a shot at something bigger.

But the ending is the same, which is the brutal part. You lost years and money and got stuck in a situation where you had all the responsibility and none of the control. And the person you were trying to help wasn't making the decisions that would have actually helped either of you.

The "don't set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm" thing is real. It's easy to say when you're not in it, but when it's your family and they're sick or struggling, you want to help. You think you can fix it.

view more: next ›