An Indian man’s rise from failing the IIT-JEE exam to becoming a Product Manager at YouTube has struck a chord online, with many calling his journey inspirational.
In a post shared on Instagram by Humans of Bombay, the man, Abhijay Arora, recalled how his mother raised him and his sibling single-handedly, frequently moving cities for her government job while ensuring she was present for every milestone in his life. “From my KG tests to the IIT entrance test, she helped me study. During JEE she’d make tea at 4am to keep me awake,” he wrote.
However, Arora shared that his aspirations took a hit in 2012 when he failed the JEE exam. “Seeing ‘Failed’ next to my name on the JEE results felt like I had betrayed every sacrifice she ever made,” he wrote. “I knew I couldn’t give up, so I pivoted to something different – IIIT Bangalore. Eventually, I won a hackathon, and landed a job in Malaysia,” he added.
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{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: Ex-Deloitte consultant explains why he lives in India despite having Canada permanent residence)
{{/usCountry}}Arora shared that despite earning well, he felt unfulfilled and set his sights on working at Google. To improve his chances, he aimed for an Ivy League MBA. “Consultants laughed, telling me Harvard was impossible without the IIT pedigree,” he said. Ignoring the doubts, he secured admission and took a ₹1 crore loan to pursue his dream.
But the struggle continued even after graduation, as he faced a tough job market with just 90 days to secure employment or leave the country. He shared that he applied to nearly 100 jobs a week with no success, “That was when the second pillar of my life stepped in: my wife,” he said.
“She married me when I was jobless and carried our household alone while I faced a mountain of rejections,” he wrote, adding that her belief in him pushed him to innovate. Arora built an AI-based tool to improve his resume and began sharing content around AI-driven job applications. His work eventually caught Google’s attention.
Today, Arora shared that he works as a Product Manager at YouTube and has built a community of over 600,000 followers. He also hosts a podcast featuring Silicon Valley leaders in AI.
In a full-circle moment, he also shared that he recently took his mother to the Google office. “As she looked at my desk and the YouTube logo on the walls, she whispered through tears, ‘Proud of you, beta.’ In that moment, every rejection and every sleepless night was redeemed,” Arora said.
Reflecting on his journey, he said, “They say behind every successful man is a woman; I am fortunate enough to have two, a mother who sacrificed everything to give me a start, and a wife who risked everything to help me finish.”
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Social media reactions
Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “You are inspiring all the young minds. Kudos to you!”
“This is so inspiring and moving,” commented another.
“It’s truly inspiring how, in our lives, our parents, siblings, and partners stand by us with unwavering support. While our achievements are often credited to our own hard work, we must never forget the silent strength ,sacrifice and encouragement our loved ones provide along the way—it’s their support that makes the journey possible,” expressed a third user.