In a job market obsessed with elite degrees, a 20-year-old college dropout has stunned social media by claiming to have secured a remote role at a San Francisco-based startup paying ₹ 70 LPA.
“How I landed a 70 LPA job as a 20-year-old college dropout,” the Indian techie wrote on Reddit. In the following lines, the person gave a step-by-step breakdown of how they reached where they are professionally.
“I did freelancing when I was like 16 because I genuinely had no clue what else to do. Did random projects at first, got underpaid a lot, worked with terrible clients too, but over time got better at growth + marketing stuff.”
The individual added, “Eventually worked on 12+ projects and even got to contribute with the growth team of one of the largest companies as a freelancer. Never had a crazy degree or anything, just kept learning by doing things on the internet everyday. Around that time I also started posting on X consistently.”
{{/usCountry}}The individual added, “Eventually worked on 12+ projects and even got to contribute with the growth team of one of the largest companies as a freelancer. Never had a crazy degree or anything, just kept learning by doing things on the internet everyday. Around that time I also started posting on X consistently.”
{{/usCountry}}However, the scene shifted when the OP noticed a “startup hiring for a role paying around ₹70 LPA.”
“The company had recently raised almost $50M in San Francisco and honestly I thought there was no way they’d even consider me. I still applied. Got rejected.”
Refusing to back down despite a string of rejections, the techie persisted with their applications. Their determination eventually led to a direct line of communication with the startup's founder, paving the way for a remarkable turn of events.
“They scheduled an interview. We spoke mostly about execution, growth ideas, psychology behind marketing, things I’d already done before etc, and a few days later I got the offer.”
The techie continued, “Still feels weird sometimes because a few years back I was just some kid sitting at home learning stuff from random internet rabbit holes at 2 am. So grateful for everything universe: I love you.”
What does the individual do?
Many questioned the individual about their line of work. Just like this Reddit user who asked, “No mention of what you actually do.” The OP responded, “I build AI distribution funnels,” adding, “Basically think clipping but with AI models. Currently, there’s a high demand in the B2B space for this… every startup wants to be everywhere. Example: You see 100s of posts before or after a movie is launched, right? It's all paid. Similarly, I do it for B2B tech startups. I have access to 100+ theme pages on both LinkedIn and Instagram.”
The techie continued, “I build infra + distribution. It's one of the most unique roles. The demand is high, but the offering is less.”
How did social media react?
An individual wrote, “If you actually didn't believe they would consider you, why would you put so much effort into getting the job? Obviously, something made you believe in yourself. Congratulations.”
Another added, “Really inspiring journey, man. This proves that skills + consistency + putting yourself out there can genuinely change your life. Most people wait for the 'perfect degree' or opportunity, but you created your own path. Respect for staying consistent through underpaid work and difficult clients — that phase teaches the most. Wishing you even bigger success ahead.”
A third commented, “Is this a startup based in India operating for companies in the US?” The OP wrote, “It's a US-based, entirely $80K/per year job. WFH.
(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.)