I Give up My Job at Nvidia to Begin My Personal Firm; Monetary Freedom

This as-told-to essay is predicated on a dialog with Antons Davis, the 40-year-old founding father of Touch of Humane and Osmo, and a former Nvidia worker, based mostly within the Bay Area. It has been edited for size and readability.

I’m a founder, entrepreneur, and life coach. I began Touch of Humane, an in-person life teaching enterprise, and am the CEO of Osmo, an AI-assisted platform designed to assist people develop into higher coaches.

After seeing firsthand how little help coaches typically have for themselves, I began Osmo in 2025 to show teaching from a subjective, time-intensive observe right into a measurable, scalable efficiency system that focuses on teaching mastery.

Before transitioning to teaching and entrepreneurship, I labored at Nokia and eBay, then spent greater than a decade at Nvidia in Santa Clara, the place I served as a product design lead till September 2022.

I stop my job at Nvidia to do work that felt far more human and significant

I spent greater than 15 years in tech throughout engineering, design, and product improvement. At Nvidia, I used to be main the person expertise for one of many firm’s flagship software program merchandise, collaborating with groups throughout the US and India to construct cutting-edge experiences for players.

On paper, it seemed like I had reached a significant profession milestone, however internally I felt more and more disconnected from the work I used to be doing. A giant cause for that was realizing I had already achieved the monetary objectives I set for myself as a child.

I wished to personal my own residence, help my dad and mom financially, and provides my household the peace of thoughts that comes from by no means having to suppose twice about on a regular basis monetary selections. At Nvidia, I achieved these issues.

What stunned me was that when these objectives had been checked off, I anticipated to really feel full. Instead, I felt like one thing was lacking. I spotted monetary safety is totally different from true success. I explored new alternatives each inside and out of doors the corporate, however the expertise solely bolstered my need to construct one thing of my very own.

I made a decision to stop. I cared deeply in regards to the firm, however staying only for a paycheck not felt proper.

Leaving Nvidia was scary and thrilling

I had no concept how issues would prove, however the concept of entering into the unknown and exploring one thing off the overwhelmed path energized me in a means I hadn’t felt in years. I knew I used to be strolling away from a really comfy profession, so I wished to do it responsibly.

I bought sufficient Nvidia inventory to create a monetary buffer that I hoped would final at the least three years. My objective was to not put any monetary stress on my spouse whereas I found out what got here subsequent.

My shut buddies had been supportive, although others questioned why I would go away such a high-profile, steady job. Loads of my confidence got here from realizing I had already explored totally different paths and nonetheless felt pulled towards constructing one thing of my very own.

My life now revolves round teaching individuals and constructing Osmo

The identical rise of AI and expertise that I as soon as helped construct at Nvidia is now inflicting extra individuals to hunt readability and help by means of teaching. AI goes to make many sorts of labor extra environment friendly, particularly repetitive or primarily knowledge-based work. Fighting that actuality normally creates extra anxiousness than accepting it.

Instead, I encourage individuals to deal with growing the qualities which can be uniquely human. The future is changing into much less about what and extra about who you’re. Your means to construct belief, talk with empathy, lead individuals by means of uncertainty, suppose creatively, and construct significant relationships will solely develop into extra priceless.

In January 2024, I based my in-person teaching enterprise, Touch of Humane. Building Osmo felt like a pure subsequent step, serving to coaches help others throughout a time when human connection issues greater than ever.

I basically began from scratch

I work about six days per week. In the start, I wasn’t incomes any earnings as I constructed my teaching observe. The monetary buffer I had constructed gave my household stability throughout that transition.

Because of that preparation, we did not should make any main way of life modifications, which I’m actually grateful for. It allowed me to deal with studying, constructing relationships, and discovering what sort of work I really wished to create, moderately than continuously worrying about making ends meet.

I’ve realized that individuals put lots of stress on themselves to search out their subsequent massive factor

For me, what mattered extra was merely discovering my subsequent path. I didn’t go away Nvidia with a grasp plan — I simply knew teaching felt significant, so I leaned into it.

What began as digital teaching developed into in-person classes, group areas, and finally Osmo. Sometimes the following chapter would not start with certainty. Sometimes it merely begins with curiosity.

There are positively issues I miss about company life

Starting your individual firm may be surprisingly lonely. One factor I took as a right at Nvidia was merely having individuals round: Walking over to somebody’s desk to brainstorm an concept, grabbing espresso collectively, or sharing the ups and downs of a venture. Those small interactions create a way of belonging that is simple to miss till it is gone.

I even have a higher appreciation now for the quantity of validation constructed into company environments. There are managers giving suggestions, teammates celebrating wins, efficiency opinions acknowledging progress, and individuals who discover once you’re struggling. As a solopreneur, a lot of that disappears.

Emotional highs and lows are far more excessive as an entrepreneur. There are days when a partnership falls by means of after months of labor, or once you spend weeks constructing one thing that no one makes use of. Then there are moments that make all of it worthwhile.

I communicate with some former colleagues. Those relationships have remained necessary to me. I’ll at all times be thankful for the individuals I labored alongside throughout my years at Nvidia.