How to Quit (and have everyone support you)

When a new team member joins XMTP, they start by reading our handbook to better understand our culture, mission & vision, and how we work.

One important part of the handbook shares our thoughts and recommendations on how to quit. We will be open-sourcing that handbook soon, but I wanted to share our insights on quitting because I don’t think it ever gets talked about.

If this resonates and you’d like to to learn more about our job openings and how we work, head over to careers.xmtp.com.

Moving on from XMTP

One thing we’d like to address that most companies don’t talk about: how to quit. Quitting is incredibly stressful and can take a lot of contemplation and time before you may finally get the courage to leave. Our goal with this guide on quitting is to give you the playbook should you feel like it’s the right decision.

People often stick around for the wrong reasons, which was one motivation for why we got rid of cliffs on our stock vesting. Staying put when you feel like you should leave is not any fun or helpful for you, nor the company.

Additionally, sometimes people may also feel like they don’t have an opportunity to express concerns about their work or the company. When things are left unsaid it’s easy to feel like options are limited. We believe in transparency at XMTP and encourage you to speak up first so we might construct a solution together. And if at the end of the day it’s still time to leave? Well, that’s what this guide is for.

Companies are simply groups of people that come together to build something they believe in. There may come a time when your beliefs change and you may want to take a different path. That may be starting a new project of your own, or joining another team that better aligns with your needs and desires. When that time comes we will support you 100% in your search for happiness and fulfillment. Ultimately we believe that’s what is best for everyone.

XMTP is an entirely remote company, and doing this the right way is especially important considering that environment. How you leave a company matters, so here are some of our recommendations on how to proceed:

1) First, understand that it’s not personal

Quitting always feels like the scariest thing in the world. It sucks to pour your heart and soul into something to ultimately leave. However, if you do it with respect and grace then you will have a group of colleagues that will be your supporters and fans forever (assuming they've enjoyed working with you).

It’s a long game in life, and people will come and go. Just remember that it’s a small world and by doing things the “right” way, you will continue to grow in your career. We support you, whether you are here or not.

2) Have a conversation

Communicate with your peers or your manager about how you’re feeling, and what you are looking for to get to your next level. We want to help make that happen, whether it’s here at XMTP or somewhere else. If you’re feeling an inclination that something isn’t right for you here, have the conversation…we’re more than open to it and ready to help.

3) Quit in a live conversation

Don’t send a blind email. Don’t send a Slack message. Politely request an audio or video meeting with the person who needs to know most and let them know you’re considering leaving. Talk it out. We might be sad or bummed but we still want what’s best for you, so just know that we’ll never be mad about it.

4) See #3 again

We can’t emphasize the live conversation enough. For whatever reason, people still send emails to quit, even after reading the last point. Don't do it.

5) Finish the job at hand

Quitting and running out the door while you still have responsibilities left open is never the right thing to do. It just dumps the work on a peer, who may not be prepared to take it on. Offer to finish the current job at hand and set yourself up to leave on a positive note.

Final thoughts

We should all be here to help each other achieve our best. We want to see everyone reach their full potential, whether that’s here at XMTP, off working on your new startup, or at another team where you’ll be more fulfilled.

Say hi @shanemac or @mg on Twitter.