A tech founder from Tamil Nadu has gone viral after openly sharing how his salary grew over the years from a Rs 10,000 internship in Bengaluru to building his own company with global clients.
His story stands out for putting real numbers and career choices into perspective, something not often discussed publicly.
HOW DID A RS 10K INTERNSHIP SHAPE HIS CAREER?
The founder began his journey in 2018 right after graduation. Instead of taking up a Rs 25,000 job at a service-based company, he chose a lower-paying internship at a startup.
The decision was driven by his goal to gain hands-on experience from day one rather than spend months in training.
During this phase, he lived in a shared flat with roommates and worked closely on real projects, including handling production-level issues, which helped him build strong practical skills early on.
HOW DID HIS SALARY GROW IN THE EARLY YEARS?
His income saw gradual growth as his responsibilities increased. In 2019, he moved into a full-time role earning Rs 25,000 per month, where he worked on building product features end-to-end.
By 2020, his salary rose to Rs 35,000 per month as he took on a full-stack developer role and began contributing to technical decisions.
In 2021, his salary increased to Rs 45,000 per month and later jumped to Rs 80,000. Around this time, he started upskilling himself by learning blockchain through online resources and building side projects, which eventually helped him land better opportunities.
WHAT LED TO THE BIG SALARY JUMP?
A major turning point came in 2022 when he was approached by a French blockchain startup through LinkedIn.
After a few interview rounds, he secured a role that paid Rs 3.5 lakh per month, almost four times his previous salary.
This marked a significant leap in his career, both in terms of income and exposure to global work environments.
WHY DID HE QUIT A HIGH PAYING JOB?
After working in the high-paying role for around one and a half years, he decided to leave and focus entirely on building his own company in Tamil Nadu. While working, he had already started developing his business on the side.
Today, his company has a team of nine people and serves clients across India, Europe, and the US, with steady revenue growth over recent months.
However, he currently earns less than what he did in his previous job, choosing long-term growth over immediate financial gains.
WHAT LESSONS DID HE LEARN ALONG THE WAY?
Looking back, he acknowledged that he could have specialised earlier and pushed himself out of his comfort zone sooner. He also felt that documenting his journey publicly from the beginning would have been helpful.
Additionally, he highlighted the importance of understanding financial aspects such as taxes, contracts, and invoicing, areas he had initially underestimated and learnt through experience.
The post received strong reactions online, with many appreciating the transparency and calling it a relatable example of the Bengaluru startup journey.