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Startup founder earning ₹1 lakh a month ponders over rejecting ₹40 LPA job opportunity: 'I feel stuck'
The founder shared that he started his company 2.5 years ago in what he described as a “slightly conventional space”.
A 31-year-old startup founder has opened up about the challenges of running his own business after turning down a ₹40 lakh-per-annum job offer. In a Reddit post titled “Need advice: I feel stuck in my start-up”, the founder shared that he started his company 2.5 years ago in what he described as a “slightly conventional space”.
The anonymous user said that his company initially saw rapid growth, recording a turnover of ₹5 crore within six months. Driven by the “bug of scale,” the team then set an ambitious target of ₹50 crore. However, despite raising nearly ₹1 crore through debt, scaling operations proved challenging, the Redditor shared.
“We were NOT able to scale and manage operations. We are still doing 6Crs of annual business but now there is more than a crore to be paid back. Good thing is that earlier we were bleeding money (PAT ~negative 7%). Now PAT is at least 3-4%,” he added.
The user said that despite the progress, his personal finances remain strained. He revealed that he currently earns about ₹1 lakh per month, which barely covers living expenses in Mumbai.
“I have not build any assets and have taken multiple personal loans. My peers make at least 50L a year and I feel like I miss out on all those things,” the founder admitted.
He acknowledged that growth will be slow and uncertainty remains high. “The business has a potential to make good money but it’s going to be slow. Plus so much uncertainty. At least for next 2–3 years I will be paying an EMI. And I feel stuck,” he said.
“I try and look for positives all the time and they might exist. But start up pressures are like no other. I am being grilled like crazy. Its 10 35 PM and I took the last metro home,” he concluded.
(Also Read: '2,000 employees clapped for layoffs': HR executive's post about radical transparency sparks debate)
How did social media react?
The post struck a chord with social media users, with some advising the founder not to compare his journey with that of others.
“Brother, your journey is inspiring! And I am pretty sure you are doing much better work than your 50 LPA peers! Keep going!” one user wrote.
“I'd rather earn less than work for someone else for 40lac per year. The passion and freedom is worth more. Keep going. If possible dilute a bit equity for funding if you're stuck,” another user suggested.
“NOOOO. Dont fall prey to the green grass syndrome. You are a free bird, cherish it. What you really need is a good mentor to help you streamline your business,” commented a third user.
“If you are here asking this question then I say you look for other options. Startup ecosystem is unpredictable, if you switch 5 years from now, you would have extremely hard time,” said another.
(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.)
