It was part strategy in that I kept my day job (web developer at a university) and split my paycheck with my two co-founders so that we could start our business

It was part strategy in that I kept my day job (web developer at a university) and split my paycheck with my two co-founders so that we could start our business/product. I would work on the idea on nights and weekends. Luck and faith came into play when we applied to YC and were accepted. At that point I quit my job to move to Mountain View. There are no regrets today, but it was a difficult decision at the time. Keeping my day job allowed me to still feel secure while also pursuing something ambitious.