So, why did you quit your job?

If only I got a penny every time someone asked me this question ever since I quit my job, I would have by now retired to someplace in Hawaii. My friends, (ex-)colleagues and even neighbours I’ve never previously met all seem to ask just this one question – So, why did you quit your job?

People often expect a pithy answer. But the truth is, I don’t have a laconic reply for this question. Of course, I could answer that this move is in line with my dreams and professional goals; but that leaves the un-explained part about those dreams and professional goals.

So, here’s my detailed explanation:

1.) I have always nurtured a childhood dream of creating, building and leading a business venture out of the strength of my character. My dream is to create a start-up and challenge myself to the limits. At 26, I am young enough to chase my dreams. So, here I am, seizing a wonderful opportunity in an entrepreneurial venture. After almost a month, I’ve found entrepreneurship to be far more exciting and satisfying than my previous life as a Computer Scientist in an amazing technology company.

2.) I have with me an incredible set of co-founders and an excellent team. All of us are close friends having graduated from the same university – BITS, Pilani. We have exceptional leadership ability as well as technology expertise in the founding team. We know that we can kick ass if we execute well.

3.) A bit cliched, but true. There really is no such thing as failure in entrepreneurship. Even if you fail, you end up learning something invaluable. (Note: I am in no way suggesting that entrepreneurs should intentionally execute the wrong strategies because it is a great experience to fail.)

4.) As much as I realize that the chances of becoming immensely wealthy are pretty low, there still exists a possibility of making a lot of money at a very young age.

5.) A lot of viable career paths open up if you are a technology entrepreneur. For instance, lots of venture capital firms place a premium on candidates with prior operational experience in start-ups.

6.) Oh yeah, entrepreneurship makes for a great segue into business school if one is interested in the same.

So, if you are considering a career change in order to follow your dreams, I’ll leave you with an English translation of the Roman poet Horace’s famous Latin quote – “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”. It means: “Seize the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow”.