At 27, I was on the people-to-watch list at Boeing. Six months later, I walked out because I wouldn't accept the corporate game.

This is the full story, the financial model my manager killed in 10 minutes despite never having built one, the performance review that turned out to be a math problem, and the phone call I got nine months after I quit that I still think about.

It's also an honest answer to the question I get asked most: what's actually different about corporate vs. founder life? The short version, in corporate, you're a number. In a startup or small business, you ARE the number. The bell curve doesn't disappear when you become a founder. It just changes denomination.

If you've ever sat through a calibration meeting wondering what was really happening to your career, this one is for you.

Chapters: 00:00 The phone ...