'Might Be The Dumbest Thing': Ex-Microsoft Employee Who Quit Rs 1.9 Cr Job Opens Up About Self-Doubt

Last Updated:July 13, 2026, 13:51 IST

In an Instagram post accompanying a video, Harms reflected on the setbacks, self-doubt and lessons he has experienced since leaving Microsoft to pursue his own path.

For many professionals, a high-paying job at a global technology company is the ultimate symbol of career success and financial security. Walking away from such a role is a decision few are willing to make. But for 27-year-old Christian Harms, quitting Microsoft in Switzerland, where he earned $200,000 (around Rs 1.9 crore) a year, marked the beginning of a journey he now calls his “Museum of Failures."

In an Instagram post accompanying a video, Harms reflected on the setbacks, self-doubt and lessons he has experienced since leaving Microsoft to pursue his own path.

Opening with the decision that changed his life, he wrote, “Leaving Microsoft might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. The salary, the stability, the person it makes you feel like. Corporate is built to make leaving feel irrational. I know I’m doing the right thing. And yet some days, the self-doubt is still suffocating."

Harms also recalled moving to Australia without a job or a concrete plan, saying he had only five months to make things work.

“I moved to Australia with no job, no plan, and five months to figure it out. I made my first dollar online the week before my flight home; the deadline did what months of planning couldn’t. Turns out I only act when my back is up against a wall, and I hate that."

The post also looked back at his first Half Ironman, where he made the difficult decision not to complete the race because of an injury.

“I showed up to my first Half Ironman and chose not to finish. Arrived injured, swam, biked, then stopped. Every part of me wanted to finish. But finishing would have ended my season. I swallowed the ego hit and went home."

Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Harms admitted that he spent months building a business before questioning whether he should have started it in the first place.

“I built a business for months before asking if I should build it at all. Called it due diligence. It wasn’t. It was fear with a to-do list. Months of directionless work and nothing to show for it."

He also revisited the decision to leave Microsoft’s reported $200,000 compensation package.

“I left 200k at Microsoft at 26 to make videos for brands on the internet. None of it went to plan. I thought I’d be a founder by now. Some days it feels like I’m failing the version of myself that made that leap. Even though I know I’m on the right path."

Harms concluded the post by explaining why he chose to share these experiences publicly.

“Now I’m documenting what it actually looks like to leave stability – making my own money, building my own thing, and figuring it out as I go. If you’re in corporate wondering if there’s another way, follow along."

Social Media Reacts

The post struck a chord with many social media users, who shared words of encouragement and related to Harms’ journey. One user wrote, “Remember there are no failures in life; it’s all learning new ways to do something."

Another said they had gone through a similar experience, commenting, “Mate, I feel your pain. I left a dream job, a good position and stability in a great school in Vietnam to return to rainy Ireland to try and build something of my own. It’s not been easy 😂. Glad I found you. Following! Let’s connect!"

Others urged Harms to stay patient, with one user writing, “Each experience teaches you something… give yourself some time to regroup."

Another simply added, “You’re gonna get there, bro."

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