Twelve years at Google.
Most would call that “making it.”
Warren Wang walked away.
Not out of burnout. Not out of boredom.
He left because something deeper called him: ownership. Of time, work, wins, and the weight that comes with it.
Here’s what he learned when he traded a badge for a blank slate:
1. Impact > Title
A fancy job title turns heads. But real respect? That comes from the thing you build. Nobody’s impressed by a resume line; they care what you’ve shipped lately.
2. Golden Handcuffs Are Just Math
Equity feels like security… until you realize it’s just numbers in a spreadsheet. Once you leave? The fear fades. Freedom feels better than theoretical millions.
3. Reviews Don’t Win Customers
“Exceeds expectations” won’t make your product sell. Customers don’t read your past performance; they care if your thing solves their pain.
4. Safety Net vs. Real Payroll
Managing 100 employees inside Google? Feels different when it’s your name on the payroll wire. Suddenly, it’s not theory, it’s survival. And every decision hits harder.
5. Theory Dies in the Trenches
You can’t PowerPoint your way out of a customer crisis. In the real world, your pitch deck doesn’t save you. Execution does.
6. Work-Life Balance Is a Myth
When it’s yours, it doesn’t feel like balance, it feels like obsession. And honestly? That kind of exhaustion is different. It means something.
7. The Safety Net Was an Illusion
The “stability” you think you’re leaving behind? It was never guaranteed. But now, every win is yours. Every screw-up, too. Full ownership. No asterisks.
The takeaway?
When you leave the building, you lose the structure, but gain yourself. It’s louder out here. Riskier. Messier. But if you’re building something that actually matters?
All the noise fades.
And all that’s left… is the work.
