What traction do you need to see from your product so you would consider quitting your big tech job?

For me, Shawn, it would be consistent revenue growth over six months that covers at least 50% of my current salary, coupled with a clear path to fully replace it. I fall into the cautious optimist category, where I need to see tangible signs of stability before making the leap.

I don't think that traction is necessarily the indicator that a person should be looking for to leave a comfy job. I left a good job for a startup with 0 customers, and no product built. If you're able to make it work for 6 months or a year and doing a startup will enable you to go through significant professional growth, then I think its a worthwhile investment of energy and time. Most startups fail, and thats ok, many startups don't get any real traction either. That being said, I think if you have a family or other dependents then starting a company should be a bit more considered, their opinions and needs matter and you leaving a stable job will effect them.