About 5 years ago during worst of the downturn, I took $20,000 USD option our consulting firm gave and voluntarily quit a $120,000 base salary job. At the time, I thought that job sucked pretty bad and was looking for an out anyhow. I've been an entrepreneur ever since.
No quick success story to tell - I've been bootstrapping for 5 years in China and it's been hard. But I've been happier overall focusing everyday on pretty much whatever-the-hell I want to think about, and my business just broke $1M USD revenues this year by doing that, so overall it seems right decision for me.
Policies like this are probably a win-win for all involved.
As much as the the $1bn exits are revered, 5 yars to $1m USD revenues IS quick success. Most who start a company will never get to that kind of revenue, and of the ones that do, many will take far longer. It's an impressive feat.
I came to Shenzhen China because I'm a manufacturing guy and this is the place to be for that. Plus the 8% YOY growth and low labor rates here give a better chance for bootstrap success. And finally, yes, I got a hot girlfriend during my visit and wanted to stay a while. She's now my wife.
I first started a technical sourcing/manufacturing/engineering consulting company. Then later started a 2nd company that uses the experience and engineers in my consulting company, but instead of consulting we just do direct sales of custom designed products and tooling, like a virtual ODM.
Haha, well I started out as a warehouse worker at a chemical factory in West Virginia, where I worked for 7 years. We didn't have a parachute policy at the chemical factory, and given my experience with and without a parachute policy, I'd say Amazon's policy creates value on both sides.
No quick success story to tell - I've been bootstrapping for 5 years in China and it's been hard. But I've been happier overall focusing everyday on pretty much whatever-the-hell I want to think about, and my business just broke $1M USD revenues this year by doing that, so overall it seems right decision for me.
Policies like this are probably a win-win for all involved.