Ten years ago, a Hyderabad founder took a chance on a Class 9 pass taxi driver with no corporate experience, hiring him as his company's first employee. Through mentorship, spoken English classes, and trust, that driver grew to become one of the most valued executives at the organisation.
“10 years ago, I hired a taxi driver as our first employee. Class 9 pass. No English. No corporate experience. No resume that would make any traditional hiring manager look twice,” Hyderabad-based founder Sravanth Gajula wrote on LinkedIn.
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He recalled how everyone wondered why he did it. The founder explained that, at that moment, he saw the cab driver's hunger and honesty. Hence, without thinking further, he took a bet on the man, and it paid off.
“We enrolled him in spoken English classes. We gave him real, contributing, and impactful work. We treated him like someone who was going to grow, because we genuinely believed he would. He didn’t just grow. He flew.”
Gajula shared that after ten years, the man now heads procurement at his company and has “pan-India responsibilities.” He continued, “People talk a lot about culture. About values. About people-first companies. But in practice, it looks like hiring someone the world would have overlooked. It looks like investing in them before they’re ‘ready’. It looks like giving them a seat at the table, and then watching them own the room.”
{{/usCountry}}Gajula shared that after ten years, the man now heads procurement at his company and has “pan-India responsibilities.” He continued, “People talk a lot about culture. About values. About people-first companies. But in practice, it looks like hiring someone the world would have overlooked. It looks like investing in them before they’re ‘ready’. It looks like giving them a seat at the table, and then watching them own the room.”
{{/usCountry}}He concluded his post and wrote, “That’s it. That was our only job. If you’re a founder or a leader reading this, your team will become who you believe them to be. Believe bigger.”
(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Sravanth Gajula. This report will be updated when he responds.)
How did social media react?
An individual commented, “This is what backing potential actually looks like. Everyone talks about hiring for talent, but very few are willing to invest before it's visible. Glad you trusted your instinct.” Another expressed, “Skills can be developed, but integrity, ownership and the willingness to learn are much harder to teach. Backing those qualities often creates remarkable long-term outcomes.”
A third posted, “This is the best example of true leadership. Great leaders don’t just build successful companies. They build successful people. Seeing potential in someone, believing in them, mentoring them, and helping them grow from a taxi driver to a Procurement Head is truly inspiring. Congratulations, sir. Your leadership continues to transform lives and set an example for all of us.”
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A fourth wrote, “An inspiring story. Skills can be learned, but integrity, hunger, and the willingness to grow are qualities that make all the difference. Congratulations to both of you on this incredible journey.”
Sravanth Gajula is a former Microsoft employee who co-founded Adonmo in 2016.