Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs without anything planned. How did it go?

Would you recommend doing the Camino?

My wife and I are thinking about it.

I'm on day one, it's going great.

I've had quite a journey since quitting, so sorry for the long post!

I worked at a company writing mathematical software for 8 years. The work was interesting, but I kept feeling there was a deeper way of thinking about some particular topic I was working on (e.g. data science, array programming, visualization, deep learning). Unfortunately, writing production code didn't leave me the time and energy to pursue these "deeper truths". Thinking deeply takes a lot of time!

It was a hugely difficult decision, but in 2018 I quit, without much of a plan. I attended some summer schools in different things, taught at some other summer schools, started reading papers and watching lectures on youtube about things that interested me. I trained with a friend to get a job as research engineer at DeepMind, but when it came time to apply, I worried I'd repeat the same pattern as before if I got the job. So I got cold feet.

The second decision, even more difficult, was to trust my instincts that I could learn topics and work on my own proto-ideas independently without the imprimatur of a PhD program or industrial lab. I had saved money, and I had enough runway for a couple years.

I have roughly 3 ideas in me that I need to formalize -- or die trying (meaning run out of money). I have cute names for them: hyperbooks, algebraic arrays, and discrete geometry. I'm working on the last one right now [1].

My inspiration was people like Andrew Kelley (author of Zig), and Rich Hickey (author of Clojure). They just did the things they believed in, worked hard, and have contributed something useful and novel to the world. Of course, I don't know if what I'm working on will be useful to others, but I have reason to be hopeful.

If one of my ideas succeeds, I'll be able to find a way to make a living off of it somehow. If they all fail, I'll have learned an enormous amount, had an adventure, and I can still go back to the ordinary career path.

In the end, the fundamental question was: "do I believe in an idea enough to pay my own salary to work on it?" Realizing I could honestly answer "yes" was a profound inflection point in my life.

[1]: https://quivergeometry.net

I quit my job a few years back without anything lined up. I had enough saved up to last a couple years and the hiring market was booming so I wasn't worried about my next job, I was pretty burned out and just wanted a break.

I spent a couple months lazying around until I felt like going back to work, then spent a month doing interviews until I got a couple offers I liked. Nobody seemed to care that I took a break between jobs, and the only time it came up I said I had the chance to relax for a bit so I just took advantage of it and they didn't question it or anything.

Traveled the world for a year and a half, then started contracting remotely while remaining abroad, making more money than I was before in NYC (I wasn't working at a FAANG type company though). Zero regrets, life is too short to be miserable, and people severely overestimate the repercussions of quitting one's job and difficult of finding employment again.

Although NYC is fun to visit from time to time, I don't miss living there one bit. And nowhere else in the U.S really appealed to me as someone who actually likes cities, though who knows maybe that would change when I start a family.

Spent this year living in South/Central America and Europe, and currently in Rome of all places. Not my ideal city, but been seeing a girl here and want to see where it goes.

Financially, lucked out on going all in on crypto a year ago at some friends' advice. That being said I still wouldn't consider myself FIRE. I would have millions had I not sold my altcoins a month or two too early against my friends' wishes (who's now definitely FIRE). I might've been better off focusing more on crypto and less on my day job, but can't blame anyone but myself, and it takes some real cajones to hold for a year and not sell even after 5-10xing. Once this contract ends though, I'll definitely be doing something in the crypto space.