Has any founder ever stepped away from their startup to get a corporate job to be able to continue bootstrapping their startup? Did it work out?

I thought I left my job, but thankfully it turned into contract work that ballooned as I ran out of money.

Learning how to do two full time gigs is great training to be a full time entrepreneur. I think had I never left my job, I woud still be sort of nowhere, but having an immersive experience, followed by a “refuge” experience means that I am grateful for any time I can put towards the business and I actually. do. stuff. (when I’m not on startupsanonymous, that is, fav guilt free time suck)

I much prefer a nice salary than Venture Capital. That’s money you don’t have to pay back! Venture Capital without revenue is like a high interest rate loan for living expenses…I think you have to have a big ego to think that’s a good idea. I’m probably a minority in that I think ego is very bad for business.

Probably you’ve heard it many times, but again – if the chances to get funding now are close to 0, then go for a job to sustain everyday life, it is better to have a chance to build your idea while working a corporate job then not getting it realized at all, and not getting any funds(working a corporate job).

I am in the same position right now, so my thinking goes along those lines. Smaller probability, but if you think you can manage to bring adequate funding in the near future without getting the corporate job – try it out, but set a time frame! if you manage – good, if not – after a certain date you need to get a job.

On the flip side, it depends what time and energy will this corporate job will suck out from you, if it drains 8-10 hours a day out of your time, and if it means draining all your energy then you end up with only weekends to work creatively.

So, I would say if you are good with time management, you can, and it is better to get a job that would give you still time for your startup, if you are not good at time management, and can’t see real funding coming in near future, then you have no choice but start a job and work it out from there.

A lot of responses on here say take investment money and use toward living expenses. Dont investors frown upon that or is that typical of veteran startups?