Harvard-IIT graduate quits 9-to-5 job and says she's not rushing back

For a decade, Charmie Kapoor worked in a variety of jobs, including stints at Razorpay, Microsoft, Dunzo and Unacademy. Her résumé was impressive, attracting recruiter replies within hours. However, she recently quit her 9-to-5 job and is not in a rush to return to a full-time position. Kapoor explained that she made this strategic decision after accumulating savings and realizing that she didn't need external validation through salary messages.

The absence of a calendar and the commute also felt liberating. During the initial days of not working, Kapoor spent time trying new things and completing personal projects, as well as helping friends with design work and running a mango toast delivery in the city. She also focused on giving more of her time and energy to helping others.

Kapoor noted that her 9-to-5 job required more time and energy than she initially realized, including commute, meetings, and filling gaps between tasks. This realization prompted her to reflect on how different people find purpose in life and the various philosophical perspectives on meaning. Kapoor felt herself moving towards absurdism, which involves picking a goal, caring about it intensely, and trying to 'win.'

Now that she has quit her job, Kapoor's days look different, with time for a swim, long conversations, and pursuing her genuine interests. She expressed her appreciation for this new phase of life and her response to a 'hottest startup' reaching out to her was to continue working on projects on her own terms.