Former Apple Engineer Juggles 13-Hour Days Before Launching Bootstrapped Startup

Julie Zhu, who joined Apple in 2022, decided to pursue entrepreneurship after years of feeling pressure and imposter syndrome at the company. She waited until she had a concrete idea, a trusted co-founder, and three to five years of personal runway before resigning. From early 2025, she balanced a 13- to 14-hour daily schedule, exercising at 5:30 a.m., developing Odd One In before work, then returning to Apple, and finally working on the startup again in the evenings.

By August 2025, the growing demands of her venture and family backing prompted her to quit Apple after four years. Odd One In, an artist-collectible startup, earned nearly six figures last year but reinvests all profits, relying on Zhu’s savings for personal expenses. Her story challenges the myth that founders must quit their jobs immediately to succeed.