- An Indian techie quit a toxic US startup job to return to India for Rs 37 lakh per annum
- He faced humiliation and stress in the US, losing confidence despite 11+ years of experience
- He received higher pay offers in the US but chose India for mental peace and professional respect
A viral story on Reddit has highlighted the journey of an Indian tech professional who quit a "toxic" job at a US-based startup to return to India for a role paying Rs 37 lakh per annum (LPA). After moving to the US in 2022 on an H-1B visa, the techie joined a boutique startup where he faced regular humiliation and verbal demeaning from a colleague. The environment was so taxing that he frequently sat in his car and cried after work.
"But those 1.5 years were honestly the hardest phase of my life. I had 11+ years of experience and expected to move into architect-level responsibilities. Instead, I was working purely as a developer. My only teammate (a Russian colleague) would regularly humiliate and verbally demean me. I slowly lost confidence and started questioning my own competence.
The startup had existed for 10 years but still had no stable clients. It was constantly in “stealth mode.” Meetings with potential customers were failing. The US job market was brutal, and I couldn't find another role easily. I used to sit in my car after work and cry," he explained.
Exhausted after 1.5 years, he received two offers: $124,000 (approximately Rs 1.05 crore) in the US and Rs 37 lakh in India. Despite the significant nominal pay cut, he chose to return home to escape the mental strain. On the very day he resigned, he received notification that his Program Electronic Review Management (the first step for a green card) was approved. However, he felt too emotionally broken to stay for the remaining 180-day requirement.
See the post here:
Left the US on H1B after PERM approval due to toxic startup – now in India and regretting it. Did I make a mistake?
by u/Miserable-Mind4356 in h1b
Life in India:
He now works as a senior architect at a large services firm. While his stress levels are lower in India and he has more professional respect, he admitted to "second-guessing" the move and missing the US lifestyle.
"Now I am in India working as a senior architect in a large services company. I am respected, leading teams, making enterprise decisions. My stress levels are much lower than they were in the US startup. But I deeply miss the US lifestyle. It was my childhood dream to settle there permanently," he said.
The tech professional is now tormented by doubts, wondering what would've happened if he'd stuck it out for another year, waited a bit longer, or switched jobs after getting his immigration status sorted.
"Did I walk away from a golden opportunity? Or did I save myself from something that was breaking me? I feel peaceful in India — but unfinished inside. Looking for honest opinions, especially from people who've been through the immigration grind," he asked fellow Reddit users.
Internet Reactions
Many echoed that his decision to stay in India was the right one, highlighting that mental peace and health outweigh everything else
One user wrote, "It's a nightmare here for H1B folks right now. Count your lucky stars."
Another commented, "You didn't make a wrong decision. You made the best decision with the info and priorities you had at that time. If you're peaceful today, that already tells you something. Missing the US is normal. We miss versions of ourselves too."
"Mental peace and health are really important for long-term well-being, so I think you made the right choice," said a third while a fourth added, "Man, you're happy! That's more than your idealistic dream of your stressful life in the US."
The move comes amid a tightening US job market and increased visa anxiety, prompting many to leverage remote work opportunities or return to India for better work-life balance.
