I Quit a Stable Job at Microsoft at Age 45 to Start My Own Company | Invesloan.com

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Joseph Landes, the 53-year-old cofounder of Nerdio in Orlando. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I worked at Microsoft for 23 years, holding many job titles, but when I left in 2018 to start my own company, I was the general manager of marketing and operations in Brazil.

I met my now cofounder, Vadim Vladimirskiy, at the Microsoft Inspire conference. As we got to know each other, we realized we wanted to start a company together. In 2020, we cofounded Nerdio. A few months later, I relocated to Orlando.

We specialize in simplifying cloud computing and IT automation for Microsoft customers. Even though I left Microsoft, they’re still our closest partner, and I work with them every day. It’s always a ton of fun to see how old colleagues have grown and taken on different challenges.

I’ve learned many lessons since leaving as an employee. Here are three of them.

1. Keep your relationships strong

When leaving Microsoft, I wanted to make sure that I was leaving on great terms and I wasn’t burning bridges on the way out. I tried to leave the business in better shape than when I got there, and I left with a big smile and huge thanks.

I still leverage many of the relationships I built today, and I knew I wanted to be able to return to the company if I decided to.

People often ask me, “Do you miss it?” It’s not that I miss Microsoft, per se; it’s that I miss the people with whom I’ve built great relationships over the years. It’s on me to make sure that I continue to build those relationships, take them forward, and maintain them.

Whatever company you’re leaving, it’s important to stay in touch with people. There could be an opportunity to work with them down the road, and you don’t want to lose that.

LinkedIn is a great tool for staying connected, and when I’m in the city, I try to look people up and meet them at Starbucks to keep my relationship with them going.

2. Know your budget

When I left to start my company, I made a very basic spreadsheet for myself, and I called it “Can I afford it?” I wrote down all of my daily expenses and how much I needed for each thing — things like paying the rent and food, and even bigger things like my kids going to college and their future weddings. I tried to project out 10 years and make it as specific as possible. I also had 18 months’ worth of savings.

This was important because when you work for a company, you have a salary and benefits, but I was leaving to start a brand new company with one other person, so there’s a factor of: can I afford to do this? How long can I last if our company doesn’t go well, and still be able to pay my bills and provide for my family?

Thankfully, it worked out. Having it planned in a spreadsheet relieved some stress for me.

3. Taking the risk of leaving is worth it to try something new

Leaving Microsoft was also risky because I was 45. When you’re younger, there’s usually less risk. I think that’s why we see younger people bouncing from company to company; they get restless.

When you’re my age — and arguably (though I don’t want to assume) closer to the end of your career than the beginning — you have responsibilities to consider.

If that’s a fear for you, know that you don’t necessarily have to leave your company. You could try something else in the same company, and that’s almost the same kind of refresh that people are looking for.

Moving from Microsoft to founding Nerdio has been incredibly fulfilling

While my time at Microsoft allowed me to grow and work with amazing colleagues, building something from the ground up, rooted in my own vision and beliefs, has been a different kind of rewarding.

I get to shape not just the products we create but also the culture. At Nerdio, we embrace risk-taking, learning from failure, and constant iteration. It’s deeply satisfying to see how the company has evolved and how we’ve pushed beyond what’s been done before.

Leading a team that isn’t afraid to experiment and learn from mistakes makes me feel like we’re truly moving forward. I’m not just building a business, I’m building something I personally believe in with Vadim, and that’s what makes it so gratifying.

It worked out for me, and I’m super happy that I took the leap, but I loved working at Microsoft.