I worked 13-hour days building my startup while working at Apple. Here's why I ignored advice to go all in sooner.

Julie Zhu built her startup before and after work while she was still employed at Apple.

Julie Zhu Julie Zhu spent eight months building her startup while working full time at Apple.

She structured her days around both jobs, often working about 13 hours.

She waited to quit until she felt financially secure and confident in her business.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julie Zhu, a 29-year-old entrepreneur in New York City who left Apple last year to focus on her startup, Odd One In.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

A few years ago, I started considering leaving my job at Apple and making the leap into entrepreneurship.

A lot of people around me thought the decision was obvious: I should just quit.

There were a few factors nudging me out the door.

For one, I had wanted to become a founder since I was 18.

I'd also developed a sort of love-hate relationship with Apple, where I began working in 2022.

I was grateful for what I learned there, but I felt like it was a high-pressure, high-stress environment — and I also struggled with imposter syndrome.

I wanted to build something where I had more of a say and could make more decisions.

When I sought advice from people I knew, including those in the startup community, about 95% told me, "Julie, if you're not happy at Apple, you should just quit." They said I had the perfect résumé and that venture capital firms would likely be willing to give me money — or at least talk to me.