I quit my $400,000 Morgan Stanley job to become a startup founder. Loneliness was the biggest challenge, but I don't regret it.

• Valeri Gervaziev left a lucrative investment banking career at Morgan Stanley to start a company.
• Gervaziev's dissatisfaction with banking led to the launch of Deepwrk, a platform for body doubling.
• Despite having to adjust his lifestyle, Gervaziev is more fulfilled and doesn't regret his choice.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Valeri Gervaziev, a 37-year-old startup founder in London. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I moved from Bulgaria to the UK for university when I was 19. After completing my master's in finance, I joined Barclays' banking analyst program, where I spent about six years and was promoted to senior associate.