This was the day I quit my 9to5

October 23, 2025

Hey there,

5 years ago, I worked at a 9-5 for almost two years.

Account manager at an affiliate marketing agency. $100 million company. Decent pay.

On paper, I was a great employee.

In reality, I was probably their worst hire.

Not because I didn't do the work. I did. I leveled up fast. I got face time with clients. I crushed my role.

I was a terrible employee because I was always going to leave.

As an entrepreneur working a 9-5, you're unemployable. The growth ceiling is too low. You have ideas they can't execute on. You see opportunities they don't have capacity for.

I'd pitch new ideas constantly. "We should do this. We should try that."

And they'd shut me down every time. "We can't do that right now. We don't have the resources to focus on other things."

I was miserable. Not because the job was bad. Because I couldn't do enough.

That's when I set my number.

I told myself: If I can make enough to cover my salary for two months straight with my apps and agency, I'll quit.

Two months later, I hit it.

So I called my boss the next day. "I'm out."

He tried to keep me. "We need you. You're crucial. We want to promote you to manager."

Didn't matter. I was gone.

Since then, I've built Puff Count to $44k MRR, sold it, and launched Posted to over $800k in revenue.

Still, my 9to5 taught me A LOT: 

· How to build a team
· How to manage people
· How to structure processes
· How big companies operate

All of that paid dividends in what I'm building now. I don't regret working there at all. I'd do it again.

But I also knew my time there had an expiration date.

If you're an entrepreneur stuck in a 9-5, you are not broken. You're just in the wrong environment.

Set your number. Build on the side. Hit it. Leave.

Don't wait for permission. Don't wait for the "right time."

The right time is the day after you hit your number.

Peace,
Steven