27-year-old quit ₹1.9 million Microsoft job to make videos online, now says ‘Stupidest thing I’ve ever done’ | Today’s news
A high-paying job, financial security and a promising corporate career weren’t enough to keep Christian Harms at Microsoft. A former employee who was earning around ₹1.9 million a year in Switzerland, he resigned at the age of 26 and moved to Australia to pursue business and content creation.
A year after the life-changing decision, Harms spoke candidly about the challenges of starting over, admitting the journey was much harder than he anticipated.
In the video, titled My Museum of Failures, as a 27-year-old who left his dream job, he reflected on the uncertainty, setbacks and emotional struggles that followed his departure from the tech giant.
“The dumbest thing” he ever did
Looking back on his decision, Harms said there are times when leaving Microsoft feels like “the dumbest thing” he’s ever done.
“Because the salary, the stability, the identity, you don’t just leave the job, you leave a version of yourself that everyone respects,” he said.
Read also | IT worker quits job to become full-time taxi driver, now earns ₹80,000
He added that corporate careers often make leaving feel like an irrational choice because of the comfort and recognition they provide.
Despite these feelings, Harms insisted he has no regrets about taking the risk.
“I know I’m doing the right thing. But some days the self-doubt is suffocating,” he admitted.
Leaving more than salary
Harms said the hardest part of resigning wasn’t the money, but the identity and sense of security that came with his role.
“At 26, I quit my $200,000 job at Microsoft to make videos for brands on the Internet. Nothing went as planned,” he said.
After leaving the company, he moved to Australia without a detailed plan and gave himself five months to build a new career. During this period he focused on producing content, reaching out to brands and exploring various online business opportunities.
Read also | Change of job? How to change group health insurance to individual
However, despite months of effort, the results he hoped for did not come.
The first online income came just before the deadline
Harms revealed that he made his first dollar online just a week before he was scheduled to return home.
“The deadline accomplished what months of planning could not,” he said.
“Apparently I only act when my back is against the wall. I hate that about myself.”
Reflecting on the experience, he said he also realized he spent too much time planning instead of asking whether his business idea was worth pursuing.
Read also | Women saw a 145% increase in salary from moving into AI careers, the report says
“I spent months building the business before asking if I should build it at all. I called it due diligence. It was really fear with a to-do list,” he said.
According to Harms, the experience resulted in months of unfocused work with little tangible progress.
Sharing the reality of business
Harms now documents his entrepreneurial journey on Instagram, where he aims to present an honest picture of life after leaving a stable corporate job rather than just showing success stories.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)
