Should you quit your job and start a business?

You’ve got a stable job with a steady paycheck, free coffee, and a dental plan. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. That 'security' might be a trap, and deep down, you know it.

Yes, offices have perks; ping pong tables, air conditioning, and the joy of passive-aggressive Slack threads. That doesn't mean your job is safe.

But stop conflating safety with stagnation. True job security isn’t your boss giving you dental insurance, it’s knowing you can monetize your skills if Zuckerberg’s Metaverse replaces your office with holograms.

You’ve been fed this line that quitting is some reckless, pants-on-fire leap, like yeeting yourself out of a plane without a parachute. The real gamble is sticking around in a grind that’s vacuuming your soul out through your eyeballs. That’s the slow-motion car crash you should be terrified of.

Now this is not another article about how everyone should quit their jobs and become their own boss. Although, I fully believe everyone can become an entrepreneur, I don’t want to sound idealistic, some people may not be in the midspace to start their ventures. But, if you know you’ve ever felt “Gosh I’d really like to have my own business” you’re probably just held back by limiting beliefs. Those limiting beliefs are what I want to help you break through with this article.

Mediocrity: The Silent Killer The corporate world isn’t evil. It’s just predictably mediocre. And mediocrity, when tolerated, becomes a life sentence. Why do people cling to these mediocre gigs like life rafts? Fear of the unknown, maybe. Or society’s voice droning, “Get a real job.”

Most likely, it’s just laziness; easier to swipe your badge than rewrite your story. The corporate machine loves this. It thrives on your willingness to sit through another buzzword-drenched meeting about “synergy.”

Mindset Over Martyrdom

Quitting isn’t about courage. It’s about calculus.

The difference between a reckless gamble and a strategic leap? Preparation.

• Reckless: Quit because you hate Mondays.

• Strategic: Quit because you’ve monetized a skill on the side

Your job isn’t the enemy, your dependency on it is.

The “Golden Handcuffs” Paradox

Yes, your salary funds avocado toast and Wi-Fi. But it’s also funding your board of director’s golf training retreat in Monaco. You’re trading peak earning years to make someone else’s net worth look Insta-worthy.

It’s like renting a penthouse you’ll never own. Feels fancy, but you’re just polishing doorknobs for a landlord.

Use the 9-to-5 as a lab, not a lifeline. Obtain skills, connections, and resources, then build your escape plan.

When to Jump (And How Not to Splat)

Jobs are training wheels. Useful? Sure. Meant to stay on forever? Debatable.

Quit when:

• You’ve stress-tested your idea (read: people willing to pay you)

• You’ve saved a survival fund (3-6 months of expenses)

• You’re bored, not bitter (Angst fuels bad decisions. Curiosity fuels empires.)

The 9-to-5 isn’t a trap. Complacency is.