Resigning and serving notice well

Before you resign

• Signed offer letter in hand

• Read your current contract: notice period, buyout rules, non-solicit clause

• Check bonuses or ESOP vesting you might lose by leaving on a certain date

• Tell your recruiter your planned last day

Resigning

• Tell your manager in person or on a call first, then send the email

• Keep the email short: thanks, last working day, handover offer

• Ask whether early release or buyout is possible, if you need it

If you get a counter offer

• Ask yourself why you started looking. Will more money fix that?

• On our 2026 calls, growth and stability came up far more often than pay

• Tell your recruiter. A late drop-out can hurt your name with that studio

During notice

• Write a handover document for every project you own

• Some studios ask for a few hours of remote handover after you leave. Agree on it in writing

• Stay in touch with your new team. Ask for onboarding details and first-week plans

• Ask for your relieving and experience letters before your last day

First 90 days in the new job

• Agree on goals with your manager in the first two weeks

• Ask for a buddy or point person

• Book check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days