This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Justin Parnell, 39, who is based in San Francisco. His former and current employment have been verified by Business Insider. This piece has been edited for length and clarity. In July 2023, my wife and I were closing on a mortgage and expecting a baby. It was a dicey time to leave a senior role with an income and benefits for something unknown and all on me. But at 36, I quit my role as the vice president of marketing at a San Francisco-