India, Nov. 8 -- For most, being laid off after 14 years at a company like Microsoft would be devastating, but that was not the case for 49-year-old Tatiana Teppoeva. The day she received her layoff email, she initially felt happiness and shared the news with her close ones.

"My first reaction was disbelief and pure happiness. I picked up the phone and called a friend to share the news," Teppoeva shared with Business Insider.

Teppoeva had long wanted to leave her tech job and start her own company, but the security of full-time employment made her hesitant. She even had a resignation letter drafted.

"For more than a year, I had been thinking about leaving to start my own company, but it was not an easy decision after a 17-year stable c...