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‘From failing to get into IIT to making $60,000 a year’: CEO opens up about turning setbacks into success
Harshil Tomar recently shared his journey from failing to get into IIT to making $60,000 through self-learning.
Everyone dreams of a perfect start, a good college, a high-paying job, and a clear path ahead. But for one young engineer, life seemed to throw the exact opposite at every turn.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the CEO of DreamLaunch shared how his journey began with disappointment and self-doubt, from failing to get into IIT to earning $400 (around INR 33,000) a month in his first job.
The CEO, Harshil Tomar, shared his inspiring journey with the caption, "At 17, all I cared about was IIT. Failed at it miserably...."
Locked in and levelled up:
According to the post, at 17, Tomar's only goal was IIT. “I failed miserably,” he admitted. His first exam rank was 1.3 lakh, and the next attempt got him 75,000, far from what he had hoped for. With that, he settled for a Tier-2 college.
By 20, he wanted to get a remote job with a stable salary. Instead, he joined a company as a software developer for $400 a month (around INR 33,000).
“I hated every second of being there,” he wrote. “I’d sit near the bus window and think, Is this my life? Wake up at 7, get home at 8, and question everything for a few pennies.”
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Still, he refused to stay stuck. During his internship, while others chatted, he spent his time watching React and Next.js tutorials. On his way home, he applied to over a hundred jobs daily. “I only cared about working out, studying, and applying,” he wrote.
For six months, nothing worked. Then suddenly, interview calls began. One after another, rounds progressed, and soon, three offers arrived. By 2024, he had landed his first remote job.
Since then, his story has taken a sharp turn. He converted his internship at Hifive into a full-time role, but was later fired. Even that setback pushed him forward.
Today, he works with “large enterprises,” earns more from sponsors than his first salary, and has made $60,000 in net revenue.
"This is your sign to keep hustling. I had no connections, nothing handed to me," he further adds.
HT.com has reached out to the user for more information. This report will be updated when they respond.
Check out the post here:
Here's how people reacted to the post:
The post quickly struck a chord with many online. Several users praised his honesty and determination, calling his journey “raw and real.”
Others said it reminded them of their own struggles while chasing jobs or preparing for exams.
One of the users commented, "This is just what I needed this morning."
Also Read: ‘Tier 3 college, zero connections’: Indian founder who faced multiple rejections builds successful agency from scratch
A second user commented, "This is incredibly inspiring. A true testament to resilience and self-belief."
"Reposting this because people need to realise how important not giving up and trying hard is! " another user commented.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
