This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Junead Khan, a 25-year-old entrepreneur in Seattle. He worked at Microsoft before resigning last year to focus on his startup, Treasury. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I had a really good experience at Microsoft when I first joined full-time in 2023.
It was my first job out of college, and I joined right in the middle of the AI boom. I was involved in the rollout of data centers across the world. It was a great opportunity.
Then Microsoft experienced some service outages, and by early 2025, I saw a greater emphasis on security and service stability. It felt like shipping things got slower. That started to take some of the fun out of the job for me.
At the same time, I was watching new AI coding tools emerge. I wanted to experiment with them and get access to them faster. I was making very good money at Microsoft: I earned more than $200,000 in 2024, including stock and bonuses. But I didn’t feel like I was learning all the AI skills I wanted to learn.
I started to think more seriously about leaving the company and pursuing an AI startup I’d been working on on the side.
Still, I wasn’t ready to quit immediately.
I built my startup on the side of my full-time job
My business idea came to me during my senior year of college.
I was born and raised in the UK but came to the US in 2019 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of North Carolina. I had money to manage in both countries, and I felt like the existing financial tools weren’t working well for me.
Around the same time, AI models were getting much better. I started wondering if I could use the technology to build a financial advisor tool for the average person who might not have access to one or want to pay thousands of dollars a year for one.
So after graduating from college and before starting at Microsoft later that summer, I started building Treasury, which I describe as an AI money coach.
For roughly the next two years, I worked on the business at night and on the weekends alongside my day job. Eventually, I started thinking seriously about leaving Microsoft.
I waited for my Microsoft stock and bonus before leaving
Last year, I applied to a few startup accelerators, including Y Combinator. My thinking was that if I got accepted, I’d quit Microsoft and work on Treasury full time.
But I didn’t get accepted.
At that point, I decided I didn’t want to wait for somebody else to give me permission to go all in on Treasury. So, I started thinking of the money I’d earned at Microsoft as my own seed funding.
Junead Khan
I also wanted to be strategic about when I left. I waited for some of my stock to vest and until I’d been at Microsoft long enough that I wouldn’t have to repay part of my sign-on bonus.
Last August, after about two years at Microsoft, I resigned and officially launched my company two months later.
I built an audience by sharing the highs and lows
When I left Microsoft, I started documenting what I was building on social media, primarily on TikTok and Instagram, but I also posted on LinkedIn and X. Part of the calculation was practical. If I wasn’t going to raise venture funding and spend money on paid advertising, I needed to find another way to help people discover the product.
I also thought that, as AI made software engineering more accessible, having a personal brand and an audience would become increasingly important to my career. Even if Treasury didn’t succeed, I thought documenting my journey could put me in a better position if I decide to look for another job one day.
The problem was that I had basically no social media following at the time, but I had to start somewhere. I began sharing my whole business journey on social media: the highs, the lows, and even failed product launches. I wanted to show what it was actually like to build a startup by myself without VC funding.
I think that approach resonated with people. Over the past year, my following has grown to around 30,000 across platforms.
About a year ago, I had fewer than 500 followers on TikTok. Today, I have more than 9,000.
My advice for growing your social media presence is to focus on telling your story in the way that suits you best. People might assume that means making TikTok or Instagram videos, but that won’t be the best fit for everyone.
For some people, it might be writing articles or making long-form videos. Find the platform and content that work best for you and your style.
AI made me think I could build the company solo
One reason I felt comfortable trying this on my own was how much AI had changed software development.
A few years earlier, I think I might have needed a cofounder to help me build the product behind the business. But today, Claude Code and Codex allow me to code so much faster. Building a basic version of a software product without a cofounder or VC funding felt achievable.
If I eventually decide to raise money, I’d rather do it after I’ve had a chance to validate the idea with an audience on my own terms than give up equity before I’ve really tried.
Today, I’m still the only person working on Treasury.
Read more about people who’ve found themselves at a corporate crossroads
I’m still living off my savings
Treasury now has paying customers and has generated more than $6,000 in revenue.
It’s still very early. I don’t pay myself a salary. The money the business makes stays in the company, and I’ve been living off the savings I accumulated before leaving Microsoft.
When I initially quit, I told myself I’d give the company a year and then see where things stood.
I’ve continued because I believe I’ve built a good product and have an audience that wants the company to succeed. Now I’m focused on figuring out how to reach more people and grow the business.
Leaving a well-paying job without paying customers or outside funding was a risk. But one thing I’ve learned through the process is not to wait for somebody else to give you permission to pursue something.
I used to think: If I get into this accelerator, then I’ll quit. If this happens, then I’ll do the next thing. Sometimes we look for those things as validation.
I’ve learned that sometimes the only permission you need is your own.
Do you have a story to share? Reach out to the reporter via email at jzinkula@businessinsider.com, or via Signal at jzinkula.29.
