Shamil Muhammed faced a humbling realisation when his first venture, a 360-degree marketing agency, collapsed. Despite hitting a monthly projected revenue peak of ₹3 lakh, he quickly lost his clients and his savings. Swallowing his pride, he shut down the business and took a 9-to-5 job as a salesperson earning ₹25,000 a month while living with his parents in Kozhikode. However, this step was the pivot he needed. In a conversation with HT.com, Muhammed shared how this journey led him to his current venture, where he serves as a major stakeholder.
Recalling his first business, he told HT.com, “I started my first business in July 2024. It was a 360-degree marketing agency. We stopped operations around December 2024, and the company was officially closed in July 2025.” He shared that losing his business also affected his savings, as he dipped into them to “sustain operations during the transition phase.”
At that point, he decided to start his journey fresh with a job as a salesperson, earning around ₹25,000 per month.
What happened next?
{{/usCountry}}At that point, he decided to start his journey fresh with a job as a salesperson, earning around ₹25,000 per month.
What happened next?
{{/usCountry}}After joining a regular job, he worked hard and eventually became a prime stockholder in the same establishment.
“My current business is a LinkedIn founder branding agency. We work with B2B founders and VCs, helping them build their personal brand on LinkedIn. I initially joined the company as an employee and later acquired a major stake, eventually becoming the primary stakeholder. We formally launched this version of the business on March 30, 2025.
Recalling the time he was struggling after leaving his business and joining a 9-5 job, Muhammed told HT.com, “I was living with my parents at the time to manage costs. Currently, we have both an office and residence set up in Kozhikode, Kerala. When I finished my degree, I wanted to go for an MBA, but I couldn't. It was expensive. That's why I wanted to make money, started a business and failed.”
He continued, “I come from a small village where people don't know about LinkedIn. I studied at a tier 3 college. But now I'm directly working with people who are running 7-8 figure companies and VCs and investors across 4 countries. I'm getting my MBA directly from them, helping them build their brand and taking their mentorship to build my business too.”
Social media reacts:
Muhammed also documented his journey in a social media post, which received varied reactions.
An individual praised, “Inspiring journey. When you fail, you will learn a lot of things.” Another added, “Decisions like these, posts like these, I need daily to remind myself of what I am doing is worth it.”
A third commented, “That line really stayed with me - quitting the wrong thing is how you find the right one. Respect for sharing this so openly - not many do. Wishing you all the best for what’s ahead.” A fourth wrote, “Solid comeback.”