An IIT graduate who quit their Rs 28 lakh per annum (LPA) job to build a startup in India has shared lessons for others looking to pursue the same path. Describing the startup ecosystem as “deeply broken”, the founder pointed out that gatekeeping and predatory services were one of the few bottlenecks that stopped people from realising their dreams, adding that personal connections often unfairly made the competition uneven.
“I left a Rs 28 LPA job to build something I genuinely believed in. Over the last 11 months, I’ve spent around Rs 10-12 lakh on product development, salaries, and trying to raise funds. On top of that, I paid lakhs in total to pitch deck reviewing firms, fundraising consultants, and a few bootcamps. I won’t name them, but most delivered little to no real value,” the founder wrote in a Reddit post.
Despite putting in the efforts, the former techie said they only received vague promises, endless ‘mentorship calls and networking events that go nowhere as people were more interested in sounding smart rather than building anything. The founder also highlighted that fundraising felt like a parallel industry, designed to extract money rather than support them.
“Hard truth, if you don’t have strong connections, your chances drop massively. I’m from an IIT background, so I still have a safety net. I’m getting job offers again. But many people won’t have that cushion. For them, this path can be financially and mentally devastating.”
Despite the setbacks, the founder said they were not done but looking to shift their base of operations to a ‘more mature ecosystem’.
“At this point, I genuinely feel a stable job is a better choice for most people in India than chasing the startup dream blindly. At least you build financial security and optionality,” said the user.
“As for me, I’m not done building. But I’m reconsidering where I build from. I’ll probably try to move into a more mature ecosystem like Silicon Valley to raise funds and continue. If you’re thinking of quitting your job for a startup, just be very, very sure. This path is not what it’s sold as.”
Check The Viral Post Here:
I Quit a ₹28 LPA Job for doing a Startup. Here’s What Actually Happened
by u/Charming-Ad1028 in StartUpIndia
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Social Media Reactions
As the post gained traction, the responses were mixed with a section of social media users agreeing with the founder’s assessment while others highlighted that entrepreneurs needed to push through the struggle.
“Bullseye. I quit at 42 LPA. The whole setup is just like any other government policy. You put in years of hard work, money, endless nights, just to realise that just like the roads, the whole ecosystem is superficial,” said one user, while another added: “I was at the same place 5 years back when I left my high-paying job to follow my passion. What I learnt the hard way is that startup is just another business.”
A third commented: “Cannot agree more. I am in the same boat. I am an IIT grad just like you and left a job that paid 80 LPA. The product I work on is a core tech product.”
A fourth said: “It’s nothing to do with the ecosystem. Entrepreneurs need sheer grit to scale and manage uncertainty with the right decisions.”
