Boris Jabes, cofounder of YC startup Meldium writes:
There’s always been a steady stream of talent leaving Microsoft, but after recent events, we’re certain to see more of an exodus. Picture this. You’re a young and ambitious Microsoft employee who joined out of college a few years ago. Some of your friends from school run startups, and every once in a while you see Facebook posts about them getting funded, getting their hundred-thousandth user, or maybe even exiting. Many of your other friends work at small companies where they enjoy huge scope and very little politics. They get to take advantage of the latest technology stacks and give back to open-source along the way. You read articles about quitting your job and starting your own company. You begin to wonder if the race to climb from level 59 to 65 is really the one worth winning.
Luckily, it’s never too late to get out and find a more fulfilling role, especially in today’s startup-rich landscape. Here are a few tips I’ve gleaned from my own experience and that of my friends on how to leave Microsoft and join the startup scene.
The first think to do is to ask yourself what you really want. Starting a company may seem like the glamorous path but it’s a huge leap. If you are passionate about solving a big problem, have found an amazing cofounder and are willing to live without a safety net then please don’t wait for anyone’s permission. Just go for it. If that’s not quite the case then joining a startup (ideally early-stage & fast-growing) will undoubtedly give you the crucial experience necessary to build your own business someday.
