Thread by @saurshan

I recently left my job after 13 years and posted a tweet on that. Didn’t expect so many like. Also got a few questions on how I took this decision. This is tweet storm for my decision-making process 1/13

f you have been working long enough to assume that you would take the plunge one fine morning is a rare event. Those usually are fictional events over evening drinks :). Like most big decisions for the plunge, you need to start preparing a few months in advance. 2/13

Financials: Check if you are protected against large impact but low probability risks. (high leverage, underinsured on health, no savings etc). If not then start fixing them. You don't want a black swan event choking all your cash flows when you are in entrepreneurship mode.3/13

Don’t plan for large alternate income along with ur venture. It's a high bar. Instead, keep a low bar for alternate income & start working on it when employed. This should be something which helps your venture. Any income like this gives you confidence that things can work 4/13

Now check if you have cash reserves for 8-12 months for running your family/self with a reduced lifestyle. These are months then you have for your moon shot. I recommend 8-12 as I think it will take that much time to validate your solution 5/13

Lifestyle: This is the tougher one as this doesn’t happen overnight. Be brutal and cut on all frivolous expenses. I cut down on almost all outside office parties ( replaced with house parties ;), cut daily outside coffee dose, sticking to only one brand for clothes etc. 6/13

Also, ensure that similar changes start to appear at home. Example, ordering online in bulk, reducing online ordering etc. Have a look and you will find savings in each corner. They are trivial but when your card bill starts to go down you get the confidence to jump on. 7/13

Time: When you are working, corporates are designed in a way that even if you waste some time daily ( surfing, chai breaks) the system will take care of it. When going alone more than money time is the most precious thing. Every minute you waste, you are eating your savings. 8/13

This means that you need to start getting the clutter out of life & build focus work zones. It's gradual & again a very tough one. Example, I put a social timer on phone with only 15 min for social media, DND mode from 11a-6pm, reduced my reading to a few good sources etc. 9/13

Now for the plunge. If you have done the above, think about the problem you want to tackle. Don’t wait for the perfect problem to come or the perfect solution to come up before leaving. The world is complex and at best one can have is a hypothesis based on a heuristic. 10/13

Fix a date in your head and then start telling your close peers about your idea and timeline. Discuss more & more with them. We are conditioned to meet our commitments declared socially and that helps you take the plunge. 11/13

Start prepping them up including your kids. You are the role model for your family, and once you tell them they will be your biggest champions. Feed on that energy.12/13

Finally, have confidence that in these months you would learn enough that either you can start again or you can get employed again. 12/13

@threader_app compile

Adding from @cashridhar "don't expect high. Just focus on best you can do. And in the course of entrepreneurship, learn to take harsh decisions as early as possible."