I quit my job at Nvidia to cofound a startup. The money wasn't life-changing, and I wanted our son to see a freer path.

Carolina Cloud cofounders Derek Fulton and Alice Pearson Fulton.

Charlotte Pearson

• Former Nvidia engineer Derek Fulton quit his job to launch the family cloud startup Carolina Cloud.
• Fulton said learning plateaued at the chip giant, and the money wasn't life-changing.
• He said the decision has improved his mental health and rekindled his love of technology.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Derek Fulton, 31, a former Nvidia software engineer...