Left a ₹50L+ job. Raised $2M. Built something profitable. Shutting it down now.

Let’s just get straight to it, I wanted to be a founder. Turns out, I just wanted the idea of being a founder. And it’s taken me two years, a lot of sleepless nights, and more stress than I knew was possible to admit this.

2021: When the “fire inside me” hit

Had a ₹50L+ salary as a VP of Ops, job security, weekends off, life sorted. But no, that wasn’t enough. LinkedIn posts, podcast founders, hundred million $ valuations - they all made me feel like I was wasting my life not building the “next big thing.”

I told myself: “I’m smart, I work hard. Why am I building someone else’s dream?”

So, I quit. Left all that stability behind with just a vague idea and the audacity to call myself a founder. Raised $2M in seed funding because, I had a good idea, had the credentials and enough evidence to prove from my career that I had the right to win in this space. Investors believed in me. Hell, I believed in me.

2022: We Built Stuff People Actually Wanted

And here’s the weird part - it worked.

We built a good product, people paid for it, and we even became operationally profitable. No crazy burn rate, no major disasters. By all traditional metrics, things were fine (maybe more than fine).

But the whole time, something felt off. Like, while everyone else on the team was jazzed about solving the problem, I was just going through the motions. I’d wake up every morning and think, is this it?

Late 2023: Had a panic attack.

Turns out foundership (idk if that's a word lol) wasn't about the cool pitches, the media features, or the “I raised $X million” LinkedIn flexes. It’s about the grind. The constant weight of making decisions that affect everything. The never-ending uncertainty.

And I realized, I wasn’t built for this. I wasn’t obsessed with the problem we were solving - I was just obsessed with the idea of being a founder.

The stress piled up. I hadn’t slept properly in months. My relationships went to shit. My mental health? I’ve seen better days. I’d built something successful by most measures, but it was draining the life out of me.

And here I am, calling it quits :)

So yeah, we’re shutting it down. Wrapping up operations, making sure the team is taken care of, returning what’s left of the funding. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one - for the business and for me. There are some really attractive acquisition offers on the table.

I didn’t fail at building something. I failed at being a founder.

And honestly? That’s okay.

Here’s What I’ve Learned:

1. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone - and that’s fine: It’s glorified to the point of being toxic. If you don’t love the grind, it’ll break you.
2. The “Founder Title” is overrated: You can do meaningful, impactful work without running a company. Seriously, there’s no shame in working a 9-to-5 if it makes you happy.
3. Success ≠ Happiness: I built something profitable, but it didn’t make me happy. In fact, it did the opposite.
4. Your mental health is worth more than a cap table: If you’re miserable all the time, maybe it’s not the right path.
5. Stability is underrated: There’s something to be said for working a good job, earning well, and having a life outside of work.

Planning to start up? Before you quit your job, ask yourself:

• Are you obsessed with the problem you’re solving?
• Are you okay with constant stress, uncertainty, and sleepless nights?
• Are you ready to give this years of your life?

If the answer is anything less than a resounding “YES,” maybe think twice. And if you’ve already started and feel like I did - it’s okay to stop. There’s no shame in calling a spade a spade.

For me? I’m going back to a role where I can still build cool stuff, just without the 24/7 chaos of running the show. And you know what? I’m fkn good with that.

Entrepreneurship is overrated. Stability isn’t a dirty word.

Keep building (or don’t, that’s fine too).

Adios!