After a roller-coaster 7.5 years at Microsoft, I handed in my ID card and laptops few days back. Even though this moment had been brewing in my mind since long, it was still bittersweet when it finally arrived. Microsoft has been an incredible place to work, especially in terms of hybrid work and perks, which made this decision all the more difficult.
But after spending 21+ years in the software industry working at large corporate behemoths, I felt it was time for change. Time for pause, reflection and reset. I will be taking the next few months to focus on health, sleep, and personal growth, revisit long-neglected passions like writing and traveling, spend more time with family and build some cool stuff while learning new skills along the way.
I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to build something I can truly call my own. To create products without being on the company clock: no OKRs, no daily scrums, no monthly status reviews.
In that spirit, I also want to use this time to explore the path of solopreneurship. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s similar to entrepreneurship, but instead of running a full-fledged startup with a team, you’re a bootstrapped solo developer managing everything from marketing to coding on your own. It’s like being a tinkerer, an explorer, a salesman, and an accounts guy all at once with the aim of building meaningful and useful products driven purely by curiosity and personal interest.
I’m excited (and a little nervous) about this new chapter. Watch this space, I’ll be sharing as I go.