From Big Tech Corp Designer to Solo — Did I Make a Huge Mistake?

One year ago, I walked away from my design role at Xero to go solo as a fractional product designer. This is my honest review — how it actually feels, what happened to my income, and whether I'd do it again. If you're thinking about leaving your corporate job, this might help you decide. Timestamps 0:00 — Intro: 12 months ago I told my manager I wanted to quit 0:25 — What I was doing a year ago vs now 0:51 — One word to describe this year 1:05 — The most unexpected feeling after leaving 2:00 — "I shouldn't have left" — did that moment happen? 2:26 — "This is exactly the life I want" — when it hit me 3:41 — Am I happier now? 3:49 — Income: higher or lower than expected? 4:40 — Best month vs worst month 5:49 — The psychology of irregular income vs salary 6:43 — Would I go back for a 20% raise? 6:53 — The most valuable skill I picked up 7:44 — Am I stronger or weaker than a year ago? Show Notes - Xero — https://www.xero.com - Bear's Fractional Design Practice (FDP) — https://bearliu.com