A man who failed the IIT entrance examination twice has shared an inspiring account of how he rebuilt his life from scratch, saying that success is not determined by where one starts but by resilience and persistence.
In a post on social media, he recalled how failing one of India's most competitive entrance examinations left him feeling devastated. "I failed IIT twice. At one point, I genuinely felt like life was over," he wrote.
Reflecting on the stigma surrounding failure in smaller towns, he said the emotional burden extended far beyond the examination result.
"In small towns, failure doesn't stay private. The comparisons, the silent judgment, the feeling that everyone suddenly sees you differently-I experienced all of it. It hurt more than I ever admitted."
Unable to escape the constant scrutiny, he decided to leave his hometown and enrol in a government college in another city.
"Not the dream college. Not even close. Just a chance to restart," he wrote.
The journey, however, remained far from easy. Coming from a financially constrained family, he said his parents were unable to fund his college education. To support himself, he took education loans and began teaching mathematics to school students.
"Money was tight. My parents couldn't support my college financially, so I took loans and started teaching school kids mathematics to manage expenses. There were days when one or two samosas were enough to get through the entire day. Looking back, survival mode teaches you things comfort never can."
Like many college students, he admitted he got distracted by relationships and emotions, but a persistent feeling pushed him to aim higher.
"Like many people in college, I also got distracted. Relationships, emotions, confusion-life happened. But somewhere inside, there was always this discomfort that I was capable of more."
After graduating, he secured a campus placement with a salary of Rs 20,000 per month in an IT support role.
"I was grateful for the opportunity, but deep down, I knew I didn't want to stay there forever."
Determined to transform his family's future, he made a personal commitment to remain completely focused on his career.
"I made a promise to myself: 'For the next few years, nothing matters except changing my family's future.' No partying. No drinking. No smoking. No distractions. Just work."
After office hours, he devoted his evenings to learning artificial intelligence and machine learning independently.
"I started learning AI/ML on my own. No roadmap. No expensive courses. No mentor guiding me. Just curiosity, internet, and the hunger to create a different life."
His efforts eventually paid off when he persuaded another manager to give him an opportunity to work on an AI/ML project.
"Eventually, I convinced another manager to give me a chance in an AI/ML project. That one decision changed the trajectory of my career."
According to him, that opportunity opened new doors, taking him from AI to product management and eventually into business leadership.
"AI turned into Product. Product turned into Business. Years later, I became one of the youngest VPs, handling one of the biggest portfolios-earning alongside friends who had cracked IIT in the same year I had failed."
This year, he took another major step by relocating to Dubai for a new professional opportunity.
"This year, I took another leap and moved to Dubai to build again. Starting over never scares you once you've rebuilt yourself before."
Despite his career achievements, he acknowledged that success came at a personal cost.
"But if I'm being fully honest, I do have regrets. I optimized too much for career and too little for health and relationships. Success gives you many things, but it also quietly takes some things away if you're not paying attention."
Concluding his post, he shared the lesson that has shaped his journey.
"If there's one thing life has taught me, it's this: You do not need the perfect start to build an extraordinary life. You need resilience. You need obsession."
He added that dedicating oneself wholeheartedly to a goal can transform one's circumstances.
I failed IIT. Twice.
— AJ (@JainJec2013) May 29, 2026
At one point, it genuinely felt like life was over. In small towns, failure doesn't stay private. The comparisons, the silent judgment, the feeling that everyone suddenly sees you differently ,I experienced all of it. It hurt more than I ever admitted.
So,…
"Sometimes, changing your fortune is simply deciding that for the next few years, you will give yourself fully to one thing. From a family that once struggled to buy milk... to now being able to buy what we want without thinking twice. Grateful for the journey. Still hungry. Still building."
