Feb. 19, 2026

#77. The Price of Inaction - Why I Left a 6-Figure Job at Google to Start From Zero

Show Notes

David Richards had what most people would call a dream job.

A six-figure salary at Google. Prestige. Security. A career path most ambitious professionals would never walk away from.

But he was miserable.

In this episode, I sit down with David to unpack what it really feels like to wear golden handcuffs, and why he eventually walked away to build a global watch strap brand from scratch.

We talk about corporate burnout, the hidden psychological cost of prestigious careers, and the quiet fear of staying too long in something that looks good on paper. David shares how he built his side hustle while working in Big Tech, calculated his financial runway, and only made the leap once both the numbers and his conviction aligned.

We also go deep on the business itself, customer acquisition costs, compounding growth, lifestyle creep, and what it actually takes to scale an e-commerce brand from Instagram DMs to selling hundreds of products a day worldwide. He explains why marketing skill, financial discipline, and long-term thinking matter far more than hype or big ideas.

If you’ve ever felt successful on paper but restless underneath, this conversation will hit home.

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