I hail from a small town in Bihar, a place that never truly prepared me for the kind of communication expected in elite circles. Despite this, I managed to secure a spot at IIT, worked at top companies in the US and India, and found myself navigating spaces dominated by elite crowds. I tried to fit in, and to some extent, I succeeded.
However, my journey took an unexpected turn when I started multiple companies. One of them eventually reached series A funding, but it ran into issues with the investors. They launched a smear campaign against me, claiming that we mismanaged the funds. In response, we filed a lawsuit, and the investors agreed to settle, but the article in the media remained. This unfortunate incident resulted in me drowning in debt.
Spent two years in depression, grappling with crippling self-doubt. I tried to get back on my feet, eventually landing a job with an early-stage startup. However, I was underpaid and worked tirelessly to prove myself. Now, at this point in my career, I have resigned from this job, where I took 50% salary cut from my starting salary and saw no value. I am burdened by debt, struggling to grow, and stammering when I speak. My confidence has wavered, and I can see it in my interviews. I feel like a fraud because I don’t know anything and am pretending to.
Turning 30 this year, I am at a crossroads and need guidance and suggestions on how to navigate this challenging phase.
