Should I Resign from My Full Professor Job to Work Fulltime on Cocalc?
This is a hard question to answer, but here are a few thoughts:<p>1. Resigning from a tenured position likely means taking a one-way street. The exception is a well-known scientist that can <i>easily</i> switch tenure to 2-3 other school <i>today</i>. In many fields competition for tenure is brutal and once you leave you may have some disadvantages in re-entry against a bunch of post-docs. &quot;Only losers leave academia&quot; is still a widely held mindset. All this does not mean not to resign; just be aware.<p>2. Do you still need money? The fact that the company is not ramen profitable in 7 years (including last 3 years of dedicated effort) means it may not be a source of income for a while. If you are not set for life, how long can you afford to not work? Will you be OK in industry (some professors thrive there some are completely miserable with a manager who tells them what to do and imposes deadlines)?<p>Unless you are set for life I would seriously consider your 50% option -- you get another year to fully dedicate to your startup without teaching a single day and still maintain tenure. In a year, re-evaluate. My 2c.