I left my $200K Microsoft job to bet on my startup. Work became less fun, and AI made me feel ready to build it alone.

This as-told-to composition is according to a conversation alongside Junead Khan, a 25-year-old entrepreneur in Seattle. He worked at Microsoft before resigning final twelvemonth to concentration on his startup, Treasury. The following has been edited for dimension and clarity.

I had a really fine cognition at Microsoft whenever I archetypal joined full-time in 2023.

It was my archetypal job out of college, and I joined correct in the center of the AI boom. I was engaged in the rollout of data centers throughout the world. It was a awesome opportunity.

Then Microsoft informed several service outages, and by first 2025, I saw a greater accent on safety and assistance stability. It felt akin shipping things got slower. That started to obtain several of the fun out of the job for me.

At the identical time, I was observing new AI coding tools emerge. I wanted to test alongside them and get admission to them faster. I was making extremely fine money at Microsoft: I earned additional than $200,000 in 2024, including inventory and bonuses. But I didn't awareness akin I was learning all the AI skills I wanted to learn.

I started to think additional earnestly concerning leaving the business and following an AI startup I'd been operating on on the side.

Still, I wasn't prepared to discontinue immediately.

I built my startup on the flank of my full-time job

My endeavor idea came to me during my elder twelvemonth of college.

I was delivered and raised in the UK but came to the US in 2019 to prosecute a bachelor's flat in computer science at the University of North Carolina. I had prosperity to oversee in the two countries, and I felt akin the existing financial tools weren't operating fine for me.

Around the identical time, AI models were getting much better. I started wondering if I could use the innovation to build a financial adviser tool for the average individual who power not have admission to one or desire to pay thousands of dollars a twelvemonth for one.

So following graduating from university and before starting at Microsoft afterward that summer, I started construction Treasury, which I depict as an AI prosperity coach.

For approximately the next two years, I worked on the endeavor at night and on the weekends alongside my day job. Eventually, I started thinking earnestly concerning leaving Microsoft.

I waited for my Microsoft inventory and reward before leaving

Last year, I applied to a few startup accelerators, including Y Combinator. My thinking was that if I got accepted, I'd discontinue Microsoft and activity on Treasury complete time.

But I didn't get accepted.

At that point, I decided I didn't desire to delay for person alternatively to provision me approval to go all in on Treasury. So, I started thinking of the prosperity I'd earned at Microsoft as my own kernel funding.

I additionally wanted to be strategic concerning whenever I left. I waited for several of my inventory to vest and until I'd been at Microsoft lengthy adequate that I wouldn't have to repay part of my sign-on bonus.

Last August, following concerning two years at Microsoft, I resigned and officially launched my business two months later.

I built an spectators by sharing the highs and lows

When I remaining Microsoft, I started documenting what I was construction on social media, chiefly on TikTok and Instagram, but I additionally posted on LinkedIn and X. Part of the calculation was practical. If I wasn't going to lift project backing and expend prosperity on paid advertising, I needed to discover another way to assistance group detect the product.

I additionally idea that, as AI made application engineering additional accessible, having a individual brand and an spectators would rotate into increasingly crucial to my career. Even if Treasury didn't succeed, I idea documenting my journey could put me in a improved stance if I decide to appearance for another job one day.

The issue was that I had basically no social media following at the time, but I had to commencement somewhere. I began sharing my entire endeavor journey on social media: the highs, the lows, and equal unsuccessful merchandise launches. I wanted to display what it was really akin to build a startup by myself without VC funding.

I think that method resonated alongside people. Over the former year, my following has grown to about 30,000 throughout platforms.

About a twelvemonth ago, I had small than 500 followers on TikTok. Today, I have additional than 9,000.

My direction for expanding your social media existence is to concentration on telling your narrative in the way that suits you best. People power assume that method making TikTok or Instagram videos, but that won't be the finest fit for everyone.

For several people, it power be penning articles or making long-form videos. Find the phase and satisfied that activity finest for you and your style.

AI made me think I could build the business solo

One logic I felt comfortable trying this on my own was how much AI had changed application development.

A few years earlier, I think I power have needed a cofounder to assistance me build the merchandise rearward the business. But today, Claude Code and Codex authorize me to code so much faster. Building a essential type of a application merchandise without a cofounder or VC backing felt achievable.

If I eventually decide to lift money, I'd fairly do it following I've had a chance to validate the idea alongside an spectators on my own conditions than provision up equity before I've really tried.

Today, I'm motionless the lone individual operating on Treasury.

I'm motionless living off my savings

Treasury now has paying customers and has generated additional than $6,000 in revenue.

It's motionless extremely early. I don't pay myself a salary. The prosperity the endeavor makes stays in the company, and I've been living off the funds I accumulated before leaving Microsoft.

When I initially quit, I told myself I'd provision the business a twelvemonth and afterward see anywhere things stood.

I've continued since I accept I've built a fine merchandise and have an spectators that wants the business to succeed. Now I'm focused on figuring out how to attain additional group and develop the business.

Leaving a well-paying job without paying customers or exterior backing was a risk. But one item I've learned through the procedure is not to delay for person alternatively to provision you approval to prosecute something.

I used to think: If I enter this accelerator, afterward I'll quit. If this happens, afterward I'll do the next thing. Sometimes we appearance for those things as validation.

I've learned that sometimes the lone approval you need is your own.

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