Perspective: Why I left banking for a startup. And what I’ve learned 5 years later

It’s been five years since I left Danske Bank for a job at Avallone.io - a leap that marked one of the biggest transitions of my professional life. After more than two decades in a stable corporate environment, moving into the fast-paced world of a tech startup was exciting… and terrifying.

At the time, I had a great job and worked with a team I genuinely respected. So why risk it?

The truth is, I had doubts. I questioned whether Avallone would succeed. I worried about job security, income changes, and the pressure of a new environment. Most of all, I feared losing the momentum I had built over 23 years in banking—and not being able to get it back if things didn’t work out.

But alongside those fears was something harder to ignore: curiosity. I wanted to test myself. I wanted to see if the skills I’d sharpened in the corporate world would translate to a new kind of challenge. Avallone was a young company, but already full of exceptional people and a clear vision. It was a rare chance to contribute to something being built from the ground up.

So, I made the leap.

Five years later, I have no regrets. Working at a startup has pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t anticipate. It has redefined how I think about agility, collaboration, and what it means to make an impact. The fast pace, the ownership, and the incredible team around me have made this one of the most rewarding chapters in my career.

If I hadn’t taken the risk, I know I’d still be wondering “what if?”

On Monday, I’ll celebrate five years at Avallone - and I’ll be sharing more about what I’ve learned from startup life, both professionally and personally.

Source: LinkedIn