'From Rs 45 Lakh Salary To Losing It All': Founder Shares Brutal Startup Failure Story

Building a startup is a dream for many budding entrepreneurs, but it is a risky path where the majority of ventures unfortunately end in failure. Hard work alone cannot guarantee success, as numerous variables must also align perfectly. Highlighting this risk, a tier-1 college tech graduate detailed in a social media post that they walked away from a lucrative Rs 45 lakh per annum (LPA) salary package to launch two startups. Ultimately, the gamble failed, wiping out their entire savings and forcing a return to square one.

"Last year, I walked away from a successful, high-paying job to chase what felt like a crazy dream: building my own startup. I started not one, but two companies. Both failed," the user wrote in a Reddit post.

"Today, I'm back at zero with no savings, no business, and no online or social media presence to show for the journey."

The founder said the hardest part of the entire ordeal was not the financial loss but what it did to their confidence, which had been shattered.

"Somewhere along the way, I stopped believing in myself and even started questioning whether I did any hard work at all," the techie said.

Having fallen on hard times, the founder said they had now decided to look for a job again, but the process had been unnerving for them.

"Every time I think about preparing for interviews, one thought keeps holding me back: Why would any company hire someone like me? That thought alone makes it difficult to even begin preparing," they said.

Check The Post Here:

From a Tier-1 College Fresher Earning 45+ LPA to Losing It All Chasing a Startup Dream
by u/luigixun in StartUpIndia

Also Read | Ford Rehires 350 Engineers After AI Fails To Match Human Expertise

Social Media Reactions

As the post went viral, social media users encouraged the techie not to get bogged down and continue betting on themselves.

"Have been at a similar place. Tier 1 college (Top 5 IIT), left a high-paying job to launch a startup. Things didn't work, for many reasons, and it felt like the end of the world. But trust me, things work out," said one user while another added: "Good thing you learned from your mistakes. In your early days, you have enough time in life. 9 out of 10 businesses fail in one way or the other; not your fault. Now you know exactly where to stop."

A third commented: "It's not one person's story. It's the story of most of the startup people. When you ask why would someone hire you, you should also ask why someone would hire anyone? To get some work done. Can you do some work? If yes, you will be able to find a job and get some money."

A fourth said: "The fact that you started two companies and kept going says a lot about you, honestly. Failing doesn't mean you don't work hard; it means you took risks most people are too scared to take."