Why I Quit My Job at 52 and Started My Own Company
Many people over 50 have likely wondered, "Will I continue working like this until retirement?" At this point, most people shelve the question, thinking, "It's too late now." I was the same for a while. To put it simply, I quit my job at 52 and started a consulting firm. The deciding factor wasn't impulse or dissatisfaction, but the fact that I couldn't say yes to the question, "Can I keep doing this for another 10 years?" In this article, I will write exactly what I struggled with and what I gave up before quitting, based on my situation at the time. By the time you finish reading, you should have a yardstick for measuring the decision to "let go of stability."
Smooth sailing from the outside
During my time as a corporate employee, I spent a long time in the SIer and consulting industries. As a director, I was entrusted with DX and large-scale business reform projects, and both my income and position were stable. To those around me, it must have looked like "smooth sailing."
My actual daily life was a little different.
The pressure of high target numbers. Coordinating between organizations. Dealing with daily troubles. And the dilemma of "Overtime is prohibited, but never let your results drop." I couldn't get rid of my fatigue even after sleeping, and my head was full of work even on my days off.
My mind and body were screaming that they couldn't take any more.
During that time, several events overlapped, and this question suddenly came to mind.
“Can I keep doing this for another 10 years?”
I couldn't answer immediately. From this moment on, my career inventory began.
It's not because you have a weak will that you "can't quit"
It is not because of a weak will that corporate employees in their 50s cannot take the step toward independence. It is a structural problem.
The higher your position, the more time you spend working under the company's banner. Conversely, the opportunities to test "what you can do under your own name" decrease. As a result, you advance in years without having an answer to the question, "Who will I be when I no longer have my business card?" This is the standard state for managers in their 50s. I was one of them.
The first thing I thought about was changing jobs to a competitor. However, I realized that even if I changed my environment, I would just be returning to the same structure. The problem was not the company, but the way of working itself.
The words that finally came to mind were "It's time." It was a conclusion reached not through anger or dissatisfaction, but through quiet acceptance. Even looking back now, I believe this feeling supported the quality of my decision.
What I decided to discard and what I decided to keep
When making the decision, I wrote down on paper what I would discard and what I would keep.
Things I discarded
Stable income and position
The banner of a large corporation and the career that follows in its wake
The external evaluation of "smooth sailing"
Things I decided to keep (choose)
A way of working that doesn't wear down my mind and body
A state where I can speak in my own words and act on my own will
The experience I have accumulated so far
At that time, the questions I posed to myself boiled down to three.
Can I continue working the way I do now for another 10 years?
When I remove the company name from my business card, can I say in my own words 'what kind of person I am'?
Can I make that decision with quiet conviction, rather than anger or dissatisfaction?
If the answer to the first is 'no' and the third is 'yes,' it is time to make a decision. It is okay to be stuck on the second one. That will be forged whether you like it or not after you become independent. However, you must leave with the awareness that you are currently stuck.
The reality that awaited after the decision
To avoid ending this with a pretty story, I will also write about what happened afterward.
I became independent without any leads for clients or a clear business outlook. The first question I was confronted with was, 'Mr. Tsujimura, what is it that you can do?' All I had in my hand was a business card with only my personal name. I learned how big the company's reputation was only after I lost it.
My time became free, but I realized there were days when I hadn't spoken to anyone at all. I panicked and started attending networking events for different industries, handing out piles of business cards, but people couldn't match my face to my name. No replies came either. It was like handing out tissues on a street corner—a complete miss.
The tide turned once I decided to 'give from myself first.' I started by going to meet people I wanted to work with, understanding their strengths, and connecting people with people. As I met and talked with about 50 people, I realized something.
Trust is born not from a title, but from one's attitude.
Every time I felt anxious, I told myself the words I had used since my previous job: 'It's okay. I will definitely find a way.'
Summary
What is needed for starting a business at 52 is not youth or a perfect business plan, but an honest answer to 'Can I continue this for another 10 years?' And the quality of your decision is determined not by what you gain, but by whether you can say in your own words what you are willing to discard.
In this note, I will write about what I have done and where I have failed since becoming independent at 52 to 'turn experience into value,' as a practical theory that can be replicated. Next time, the topic is 'Just because you get a qualification doesn't mean you can do consulting.' If you are interested in the continuation, please follow me and stay tuned.
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