I was a director at Goldman Sachs and quit to work in crypto. People questioned me, but I wanted to build something great.

• Hong Yea spent 10 years as a trader but always had dreams of starting his own business.
• Yea quit his director job at Goldman Sachs to start a crypto company, just as the industry tanked.
• He had doubts, alongside everyone else, but a Korean proverb spurred him to pursue his startup.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Hong Yea, a 36-year-old CEO and cofounder of GRVT. It has been edited for length and clarity.