Most academics don’t wait too long because they lack courage. They wait because they want control.
When I spoke with Leslie Wang, her words stayed with me.
After nearly a decade as a tenured professor—after building a coaching business that replaced her salary and supported her family—she still didn’t feel 100% ready to leave academia.
“Do I feel 80% ready? Good enough,” she said. “One hundred percent means you can control the outcome. You can’t.”
That became her 80% rule, and it quietly rewrites what it means to “be ready” for change.
This mindset matters, especially for anyone considering a career change from academia to industry or building their own academic business.
The 80% Rule in Real Life
Nicole Pettitt’s Hybrid Path
Nicole Pettitt loved teaching too much to walk away. But she saw instability growing in higher education and wanted options.
Her 80% looked like starting a free Saturday co-writing group. Then came dissertation coaching, and then paying clients.
The result was income, energy and safety. Her academic work improved because she finally had breathing room.
Nicole’s story shows that leaving academia doesn’t always mean leaving the classroom. Sometimes it means building flexibility and choice.
Jeff Malins’ turning point
Through his PhD and postdoc, Jeff Malins never questioned the system. The pandemic changed that.
His mental health was slipping. His creativity was gone. His marriage was strained. The evidence kept stacking up until the cost of staying was higher than the uncertainty of leaving.
Moving into industry gave him balance, and returning to painting gave him joy.
Both outcomes were on the other side of “I’ll wait until I’m sure.”
Jeff’s story reminds us that waiting for certainty can cost you clarity. The act of moving creates the stability you’re looking for.
The 20% you can’t eliminate
That missing 20% is where the growth lives.
It’s Nicole testing a middle path instead of quitting outright.
It’s Jeff rediscovering art.
It’s Leslie giving herself permission to leave at 80% and build as she went.
Uncertainty leaves room for creativity, course correction, and surprise.
And in the long run, it’s often the piece that transforms fear into freedom.
What “ready enough” might look like
If you’re thinking about leaving academia or starting your own business, your version of 80% might include:
- A few months of savings
- A first client or project
- Support from your circle
- A clear sense that academia is no longer working
What it doesn’t include: total confidence or guaranteed outcomes.
“Ready enough” isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about having momentum.
If you’re still waiting for 100%
You may never feel it.
The 80% rule gives you permission to act when you’re prepared enough, not perfectly certain.
As Leslie told me:
“Even when I left the Academy, I had a fully built business without any legs to it yet. The legs came later.”
The lesson? Certainty never comes first. It comes from moving forward despite uncertainty.
Your next step
Curious what your 80% could look like?
Download my free workbook Map Your Academic Business to identify the skills you already have and see how they translate outside academia.
You might be closer than you think.