An IIT Kharagpur alumnus has gone viral after sharing how he walked away from a prestigious PhD programme at the age of 22 to build an AI startup with his college friend. In a LinkedIn post, Varun Vummadi reflected on the difficult decision, saying the rapid rise of artificial intelligence changed the course of his career. Today, the San Francisco-based startup has raised $61 million in funding and serves major global clients, making his story an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Varun said he co-founded the company with his IIT Kharagpur batchmate Esha Dinne, whom he met during their freshman year. "We shared the same dorm and wavelength. We spent four years obsessing over the same things-Paul Graham essays, machine learning projects, late-night conversations about life," he wrote.
Originally, Varun planned to complete a PhD, build a strong research network in Silicon Valley and then launch a startup. However, the arrival of ChatGPT changed everything. "When ChatGPT launched, Esha and I saw a generational shift happening right in front of us. Opportunities like this don't wait around until you're 100% ready," he said.
The decision, however, was far from easy. Coming from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, he admitted the financial risk weighed heavily on him. "To walk away from the PhD program and take the risk on a startup was not a casual decision," he wrote.
Despite the uncertainty, the duo moved to San Francisco with conviction. Three years later, their AI venture has raised $61 million, works with companies including DoorDash, and its AI agents reportedly handle millions of customer support tickets every day.
Ending his post with advice for aspiring founders, Varun wrote, "If you wait until you're 100% ready, you'll be waiting the rest of your life. Some doors only open once."