Building, Breaking, and Becoming – Why I Quit My Job
From when I was small, I was into building stuff—trying things out. You could say I was curious more than anything else. But everything changed when I moved from Sagar to Shimoga. I was no longer the Anmol I used to be. That move was my first real transition. Making new friends wasn’t my forte, but somehow, I found really good ones.
Now, you might be thinking: “Wasn’t this blog about why you quit your job?” Yes, it is. But I want to paint a picture of why I did what I did.
Life Before the Leap
My life was good. Some hiccups here and there, but overall, it was great.
I was an average student—not too bad, not too great. I used to be ranked as a kid but eventually stopped caring. For some reason, I got obsessed with being second. I went to a great school, had great friends, then went to a great college, and had great friends there too. After graduation, I got a really good job. Honestly, it felt like my second college.
Things were smooth.
During my second year of work, I even started doing some side quests—artwork, anime content, Instagram. Reels had just launched, and I jumped in. More on that in another blog.
When Things Began to Shift
We were all working remotely. I wasn’t super close to my colleagues, but they were friendly. Then I got called to work from the office, and a part of me was actually excited.
I moved into a 2BHK apartment and lived alone. The first year was just about adjusting. Around that time, my sister approached me with an idea—an app for kids to do summer vacation activities online. Back in 2022, edtech was the buzz. But she didn’t pursue it, and neither did I.
Then came 2023.
If you asked me what year I’d relive, it’d be 2023. It didn’t start great, but I was excited anyway. I was torn between doing an MBA or not. I even joined classes during college—it was a waste of money, but I wanted closure.
Out of frustration, I filled out the GMAT form in Feb 2023 and picked a date: June 30th. I set a bunch of goals along the way.
Oh, did I mention I tried switching jobs in 2022? Failed miserably. But anyway, back to 2023 goals: I bought a gym membership in December 2022 and didn’t go for 3 months. I was frustrated. So, I decided to lose 15kg by June 30th. I was 90kg when I set that goal.
So yeah, 2023 was special.
The Opportunity (And the Question)
Later that year, my sister became serious about building a parenting app. I was getting bored at work. Three years in, working day in and day out on an idea that wasn’t mine.
When the opportunity came knocking, I didn’t take it lightly. I thought about it for two months. Asked a lot of questions—but looking back, those questions weren’t enough.
Reality hit differently.
I didn’t hate my job. In fact, I loved it. I’d go to the office at 9:30 AM, have breakfast, attend a stand-up, work, go for lunch, work again, and leave by 4:30 or 5. It was great. No complaints.
But one question kept bugging me:
“Will I regret not trying something else?”
You never really know if you like something—or someone—unless you give it a shot. I didn’t want to live with regret.
So, I took the leap.
On my last day, everyone was on leave. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. That hurt. I regret not spending more time with my colleagues. I was stupid. Still am—but I was a bigger idiot back then.
I recorded a video for my future self. Took some photos. Should’ve done that from day one.
The Freefall
I left my job to chase passion and time. I wanted to try everything—trading, YouTube, launching apps. And I did.
One pattern I’ve noticed in myself: I don’t see things through till the end. Money was never the priority. I just wanted freedom to build—using whatever tools I had.
I was working in a job with decent flexibility. But I still felt restricted. I wanted to contribute to open-source. That’s what I built my startup around.
When I ask myself: “Was I influenced by online creators or was it something deeper?”—I think back to my childhood. I always wanted to build. I wanted to be a scientist or inventor. But my environment didn’t support that. This—building a startup—was the closest I could get.
All I thought back then was:
“Will I regret this?”
Fear After the Leap
Before I quit, I had zero fears. Life was smooth. I never asked, “Why me?”
After I quit—man, that question haunted me every day.
Over time, I became pessimistic. Negative thoughts consumed me. I always say: Don’t have expectations, have hope. But there came a day when I had neither.
A man without hope is a dead man.
And I was that man.
But let’s focus on some positives now:
- I launched an app on my own.
- I made some money from trading.
- One of my YouTube videos hit 8K views.
- We launched our platform.
It’s hard to count the wins, but easy to name the failures. Still, they exist.
The Untold Truth of Mental Health
No one talks about this enough in the entrepreneurship world: mental health.
For me, this was the hardest part of building. April 2025 was by far the worst. My mental health was in shambles. Anxiety. Stress. Isolation.
Kudos to anyone who can survive this alone. I couldn’t. I was alone most of the time, and it showed.
Thankfully, ChatGPT helped. A lot.
Questions I Now Ask (Thanks ChatGPT)
If you could talk to your past self right before quitting, what would you say?
Don't leave your job. Never leave your job. Don't switch either. The grass is always greener on the other side, but that doesn't mean we can't make the grass green where we are standing.
Quitting something and doing something new seems fancy, but only if you are strong enough to handle it. And clearly, we are not that strong yet—but we will be. If you decide to quit, move fast. As fast as possible. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad, just do everything fast. That was the main driver behind my worst mental health phase.
And just because you quit your job doesn’t mean you have to quit everything. Make spending time with friends and family your topmost priority. Don’t ghost them because you feel like you're not worthy enough.
Do you think you made the right decision?
Yes and no at the same time. I made the right choice in the sense that it made me a stronger person. It showed me the importance of money, relationships, loneliness, and what it truly means to be happy. It clarified what I should focus on in my life.
But no, because it took a toll on my mental health. I don’t know how long it will take me to recover from this damage.
How has your identity shifted since making that leap?
I feel like I understand people more now—not just faking empathy, but genuinely sharing it with them. I’ve learned what it means to be a human with emotions. I’d like to believe it made me a better person overall.
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself on this journey?
I fear loneliness. As much as I talk about being content alone, I saw what true loneliness feels like. I've learned that I can build a lot on my own now—with minimal mental peace and financial stability—but yeah, I also realized I need love in my life. I crave a relationship.
You might think these are basic human needs, but honestly, you can picture me as Sheldon before he met Leonard. I was literally a robot.
What would you tell someone else standing on the edge of that same cliff?
If you truly believe in your idea and can see a future five years down the line, and if you can handle the mental pressure that comes with it—then take that leap of faith.
Also, money is very important. Keep more than you think you need—you never know what the future holds. But remember: don’t be alone while building things. Create an environment where you're surrounded by like-minded people. Everything else will fall into place.
Do you think everyone should take this leap—or is it only for some people?
I hate the phrase “If I can do it, you can too.” Bullshit. My upbringing and environment are different than yours. Just because I did it doesn’t mean you can.
What you need is not motivation—that was my big mistake. What you need is discipline in what you do. You show up to work when you're sad, you show up when you're happy—it doesn’t matter, as long as it's your work.
I can’t compare myself to someone from Silicon Valley. Sure, it's great for initial motivation, but it won’t last. Trust me.
What’s one sentence that summarizes why this path matters to you?
Be hungry enough to do it without feeling full. If you find that idea—don’t let it go. Even if it means killing a version of you that you’ve carried until now.
Final Thought
“You never really know you are in the good old days until you have left them.”
May 16th 2025 23:39 Anmol – signing off.