On Wall Street, barely sleeping was a badge of honor. It inspired me to quit and launch a health startup.

Josh Hou, on the right, with his Ren cofounders Ryan Hou (left) and Eli Qian (middle). Josh Hou Josh Hou, 22, left his investment banking job at Evercore after a year to cofound Ren, a health app. Conversations on Wall Street about sleep and the culture around wearables inspired the startup. Hou quit three months before getting his bonus, hoping to minimize his regret later. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Josh Hou, 22, who left his job as an investment banking analyst at Evercore to co-found Ren, an app that helps users determine how specific interventions, like specific supplements, are affecting their health by running experiments on the body. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. As an investment banking analyst at Evercore, sleep was by far the most common subject of conversation. Not sleeping was almost like a badge of honor.