India’s salaried professionals are long accustomed to a unique ritual. Every year—especially when switching jobs—many expect a “standard” 30–35% salary hike, treating it as a near-birthright rather than an individually earned reward. But Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and prominent investor, is raising a red flag: this obsession, he warns, is not just irrational, it’s actively undermining India’s brightest talent.
The Problem with a ‘Magic Number’
Anupam Mittal’s critique lands at the heart of current job-hopping trends—where professionals, especially in fast-growing sectors like tech and consulting, chase quick percentage boosts without pausing to ask what really drives long-term value. In his blunt but relatable post, he writes, “No logic. No context. Just ritual,” calling out how the “standard” 35% hike has become gospel despite having no real source, logic, or merit.
He likens this treadmill to “a lot of motion, no progress,” arguing that persistent job-switching motivated by comp hikes leads to a career riddled with shallow experience, little expertise, and, ultimately, a lack of genuine compounding—whether in skills, credibility, or influence. This is echoed by market research and HR leaders who have found job-hoppers often struggle with deep domain knowledge and miss out on the rewards of long-term growth and trust within organizations.
Rethinking Career Growth: Depth Over Hike
Anupam Mittal’s advice is to dramatically shift one’s focus away from obsessing about a pre-decided percentage increase, and toward real, compounding personal growth. The number worth pursuing, he contends, isn’t a 35% salary bump but “35% growth in judgment”: that is, continuous improvement in critical thinking, first-principles reasoning, and creative problem-solving.
With AI automating more routine work each year, adaptability, judgment, and the ability to deliver outcomes—not outputs—become the true differentiators, he notes. When the market or industry environment becomes turbulent, those who merely maximize their paycheck may struggle; it’s the innovative, thoughtful, outcomes-focused professionals who become indispensable, no matter the economic cycle.
The Race for Meaningful Value
What’s notable in Anupam Mittal’s reflection is the call for intentional career planning. Yes, earn your worth and seek fair compensation, but don’t make the mistake of confusing mere movement for genuine momentum. Chasing short-term raises, while neglecting skill-building and the development of real professional “edge,” traps workers in a cycle of transactional work rather than transformative careers.
Workforce experts widely agree: Long-term value is created by those who “compound their mind”—deepening understanding in their domain, learning to solve complex problems, and building a reputation as a creative, trustworthy contributor.
The Takeaway: Chase Judgment, Not Just a Jump
As AI and automation reshape industries at lightning speed, Mittal’s advice is particularly timely. Only the thinkers, the judgment-builders, and those refining creativity and principled problem-solving will thrive in a future not defined by job titles or annual hikes, but by impact. In other words: “Stop chasing paychecks. Start compounding your mind.”