--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had to quit a 'real job' to start my…" description: "\"I had to quit a 'real job' to start my first company.\" — David Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/david-cohen-9104_business_i-had-to-quit-a-real-job-to-start-my-fir_1724987.jpg" --- # I had to quit a 'real job' to start my first company. ![“I had to quit a 'real job' to start my first company.” quote by David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/david-cohen-9104_business_i-had-to-quit-a-real-job-to-start-my-fir_1724987.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/david-cohen-9104_business_i-had-to-quit-a-real-job-to-start-my-fir_1724987.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/david-cohen-9104_business_i-had-to-quit-a-real-job-to-start-my-fir_1724987.jpg) > “I had to quit a 'real job' to start my first company.” [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving a stable job to start a company requires risk and commitment. **In simple terms:** Quitting a safe job to launch a startup. Key Takeaway Embrace risk for growth. Themes risk entrepreneurship career change Mood determined hopeful Type motivational practical When to use this quote - startup founding - career pivot - financial planning Key Concepts opportunity cost self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to leave security? - How will you mitigate startup risks? A Different Perspective Not all ventures succeed; risk can be high. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Job Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-start/) [Quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quit/) [Quit Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quit-real-1375016/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-job/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Start Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-company/) ## Related quotes > [I quit my last real job, as a writer at a magazine, when I was twenty-one. 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She sat up straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-andrews/i-ve-got-some-good-physical-therapy-for-you-any-good-at-fencing-joss/) [Amy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-andrews/) > [I had a choice between working on Wall Street or doing consulting or working at a start-up, and I got a job at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-kelman/i-had-a-choice-between-working-on-wall-street-or-doing-consulting-or/) [Glenn Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-kelman/) > [Too many people don't understand their ability to walk away from a job and start a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-rosenthal/too-many-people-don-t-understand-their-ability-to-walk-away-from-a/) [Joshua Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-rosenthal/) ## More by David Cohen > [Because Techstars is an intensely productive three-month program in which product development and iteration are primary goals, we're constantly looking to streamline our program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/because-techstars-is-an-intensely-productive-three-month-program-in/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [The best mentors present their opinions simply as data and not as direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/the-best-mentors-present-their-opinions-simply-as-data-and-not-as/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [My attitude is there are at least hundreds of interesting startups that are going to get going in every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/my-attitude-is-there-are-at-least-hundreds-of-interesting-startups/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [We've been publishing the TechStars data fully since the beginning on TechStars.com. 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