The career advice Jensen Huang gave me

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Siddhant Pardeshi
After quitting his full-time job at Nvidia, Sid Pardeshi co-founded Blitzy in 2023.

Blitzy

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sid Pardeshi, 32, the co-founder and CTO of a generative AI software platform. He is from India and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I quit my $390K tech job to start my own business. I still question my decision, but this is the first time in years I've woken up excited for life.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Shiyao Tang sitting on edge of couch
Shiyao Tang says she spent 5 months planning her exit from her $390K job.

Shiyao Tang

I quit a $250,000 job, thinking it would be easy to find another one. After a year of unemployment, I wish I could go back and shake myself.

Tech Insider : Business
Jesse smiling into camera
Jesse Tervooren says being a good worker became her identity during her decadelong HR career.

Jesse Tervooren

I left a VP-level role in Big Tech and now I work with startups. It's more unpredictable, but startup life is invigorating.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Style
Robert E. Williams sitting in a chair and smiling
Robert E Williams left a career in Big Tech after 15 years to work with startups.

Robert E. Williams

I quit my career at 40 when a diagnosis stopped me in my tracks. Prioritizing my health was scary, but it helped me redefine success.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports
Woman sitting on a wooden railing in a forest, smiling at the camera, wearing a sports top, shorts, and slip-on shoes.
Melissa Hoeppner quit her job last October to reevaluate her priorities and take care of her health.

Courtesy of Melissa Hoeppner

I quit my corporate job and spent 18 months living on a sailboat. My mindset's completely shifted now that I'm back on land.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
The writer and her partner in front of their sailboat.
caption

Laura Keys

I quit my corporate job at 29 and became a yacht chef. Now I cook for high-profile executives and retired athletes.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Economy
emily ruybal chef split with yacht menu
Emily Ruybal is a private chef and content creator working on chartered yachts.

Courtesy of Emily Ruybal

I quit my six-figure Big Tech job to start a business and earned back my income 2 years later. Here's what I wish I'd known sooner.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Woman standing in a desert wearing a red dress.
Entrepreneur Aliena Cai said she learned from four business mistakes that cost her time, money, and energy.

Photo courtesy of Aliena Cai

I quit my job at Google after 2 years. I prepared well for my exit but wish I'd done 3 things differently.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
selfie of a woman while traveling
Erica Rivera.

Courtesy of Erica Rivera

I left my corporate career to start a cleaning business 5 years ago. I still don't take a salary, but my family is doing much better off.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
A man wearing glasses, a gray baseball cap, and a red and blue shirt smiles for a selfie. He is standing on a grassy lawn with a driveway and trailer in the background.
Burgess Heberer started his business 5 years ago and 6 weeks later left his job to pursue it full-time.

Courtesy of Burgess Heberer

Subscribe to quitting-job