A Reddit user has shared their remarkable career growth story, detailing how they went from earning ₹6 LPA at a small startup to securing a ₹26 LPA base salary at a well-established firm within just two years. The post, which has since gained attention, has struck a chord with many aspiring engineers from non-CS backgrounds and tier-2 or tier-3 colleges.
Starting Small, Scaling Fast
The engineer revealed that they began their journey in 2022, joining an 11-member early-stage startup as an intern earning only ₹7,000 per month. By September, they hustled for a Pre-Placement Offer, and by January 2023, their stipend rose to ₹25,000. In July 2023, they joined the same company full-time at a salary of ₹6 LPA, taking complete ownership of the frontend web app and working closely with founders, backend, and design teams.
After a year, they started applying outside and landed a 10 LPA remote role before securing a 16 LPA offer at a Product-Based Company via referral. By 2025, they announced moving to a well-established startup with a 26 LPA base package.
No Fancy Skills, Just Ownership
According to the post, their growth came not from extraordinary skills but consistency in fundamentals. “Skills? Just the essentials: JavaScript, React, TypeScript. No fancy side projects. Average DSA. My work and ownership spoke louder than anything else,” they wrote.
They credited their success to learning quickly, taking ownership, and leveraging referrals. For interview prep, they used resources like YouTube channels Akshay Saini, Roadside Coder, DevTools Tech, LearnersBucket, and GreatFrontend.
The user also advised peers to avoid applying randomly and instead focus on building a personal brand: “Build your brand on LinkedIn, post useful stuff. In my current job switch, all the interviews I got was by HR reaching out to me, I didn’t apply anywhere.”
Redditors React
Many commenters praised the story as inspirational. One user said, “Great work. You can be inspiration for many people. Start even if small, work hard, hustle, be ambitious, get noticed.”
Another user shared their dilemma, “Though I’ve made up my mind, I’ll ask here again. I’m from a tier-2.5 private college, and placements are ongoing. Most of the top companies have already wrapped up, though a few are still hiring. I’ve failed three interviews so far, but I have another coming up for an 8.5 LPA package. The question is—should I take the risk and wait for a higher offer in the coming months? Even if I don’t, I’ll most likely still get 6–7 LPA offers later this year. Still, this one would give me ₹55–60k in hand, which is pretty good for a fresher from a private college. The role is also SE.”
Others asked for practical advice. One Redditor wrote, “Hey, that’s really awesome! Could you share your interview prep and strategies? I’m struggling with DSA rounds, so guidance on what to focus on for those would be great.”