It's a terrible time to quit your job. These 7 Big Tech workers share why they did it anyway.
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Why Are So Many Big Tech Employees Walking Away From Six-Figure Jobs?
And what they're learning about time, agency, and what actually matters.
Last year, Joslyn Orgill stood at a crossroads many of us can relate to: stay in a comfortable, high-paying role—or bet on yourself and pursue something that *feels* like yours.
She had a six-figure data engineer job at Google. She and her husband had just bought a home in Austin. By every practical metric, staying made sense.
But something was off.
She felt invisible in the machine of a massive company. She worried about long-term job security in an unstable tech landscape. And quietly, persistently, she kept thinking about a Ph.D. in computer science—and maybe, someday, a career in academia.
So last August, she left.
> "Google's an amazing company, but the job just wasn't a great fit for me."
Today, Orgill is pursuing her doctorate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. No backup plan. No guarantee. Just conviction.
She's not alone.
Over the past year, I've spoken with more than a dozen professionals—many from Big Tech—who walked away from stable, lucrative roles without another job lined up. In an economy where quit rates have dropped to decade lows, their choices stand out. Not as reckless leaps, but as intentional recalibrations.
Here's what they're chasing—and what they're leaving behind.
🔄 When "Climbing the Ladder" Stops Feeling Like Progress
For David Chong, a senior software engineer at Microsoft, the writing was on the wall: promotions weren't coming through merit alone.
> "It felt like I needed to develop a 'getting promoted' skill—one that required a lot of internal self-promotion."
He'd become the most senior person on his team, which meant fewer mentors, less growth, and more plateau. At the same time, an idea kept pulling at him: building an AI sales agent that could screen leads and route qualified prospects automatically.
He had savings. No dependents. And a three-year runway in his mind.
So in September, he resigned.
> "If all else fails, I'll go back into the job market."
His story highlights a quiet shift happening across tech: **loyalty isn't dead, but it's conditional**. When growth stalls and the path forward feels political rather than merit-based, talented people start asking: *What else could I build with this energy?*
🏢 RTO Mandates, Culture Shifts, and the Quest for Autonomy
For Nicole Landis Ferragonio and Joe Luchs, the tipping point wasn't just ambition—it was autonomy.
While working together at Amazon, they started sketching out their own venture: Datalinx AI. Then came Amazon's five-day return-to-office mandate.
> "It raised some questions about how much agency you really have in Big Tech—and what would be possible on our own."
Add to that the explosive momentum in AI, and the fear of missing out became a catalyst, not a distraction.
> "The FOMO of not being able to get in on this AI opportunity was another driver to make me want to move fast here." — Joe Luchs
They didn't wait for permission. They resigned. They built.
👶 When Life, Not Logic, Redefines Success
Not every departure was about startups or career pivots. For some, the catalyst was deeply personal.
Kruthika Jayatheertha took maternity leave from her senior UX researcher role at Microsoft in late 2024. What started as six months became a deliberate pause—and then a resignation.
> "Being around my daughter full-time has allowed me to witness so many of her 'firsts'… It was clear to me that stepping away was the right choice."
With her husband's income providing stability, she chose presence over productivity metrics. She plans to return to work when her daughter is around 18 months old—but on her own terms.
Similarly, Alyson Isaacs' decision to leave Meta was shaped by grief. After her father passed in 2024, she reevaluated everything.
> "Is being a product manager at a Big Tech company what I want to do for the rest of my life? And the answer was resoundingly no."
She's now building an agentic AI solution for personal wellness—a project that aligns with her values, not just her résumé.
⏱️ The Real Resource Quitting Buys: Time
Here's the thread connecting all these stories: **time**.
Whether it's raising a child, building a startup, pursuing a degree, or simply reclaiming mental space—quitting wasn't about rejection. It was about redirection.
Jason White, a former machine-learning engineer at Meta, knew he couldn't build his AI startup while juggling a demanding full-time role and parenting. Legal concerns (non-competes, disclosure requirements) added another layer of complexity.
But more than logistics, it was about focus.
> "At the end of the day, I want to take the swing."
He had savings. He had clarity. And he had a venture he believed in enough to bet on.
💡 What Can We Learn From These Stories?
You don't have to quit your job to apply these insights. But if you're feeling stuck, ask yourself:
🔹 **What am I optimizing for?** Stability? Growth? Meaning? Time?
🔹 **What would I do if I had a 3-year runway?**
🔹 **What small step could I take this week toward more agency?**
🔹 **Am I staying out of fear—or genuine alignment?**
Leaving a Big Tech role isn't inherently brave. Staying isn't inherently safe. What matters is intentionality.
These quitters aren't rejecting success. They're redefining it—on their own terms.
*Have you been at a corporate crossroads? Whether you stayed, left, or are still deciding—I'd love to hear your story. Drop a comment below or reach out. Sometimes the most powerful insights come from sharing the journey.*
*— [Your Name]*
*P.S. If this resonated, share it with someone who's weighing their own next move. You never know what conversation it might spark.* 🌱