GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

Legacy, mediocrity, and Corpus - Stuck b/w all three

I’ve spent the last 4 years in banking and fintech, building solid products, shipping fast, solving user problems.

But lately, a question keeps coming back to me: Why am I doing this?

I thought maybe it’s money. And yes, I do need money, middle-class family, zero savings, ₹1 crore target before marriage, home construction and marriage expenses.

But deep down, it’s not money I truly crave, it’s legacy.

So I started thinking about the people who left a legacy behind Steve Jobs, Abdul Kalam, Bhabha, Elon, Newton, Einstein. I could barely name 25.

Then I realised: there’s no Tendulkar or Kohli in that list. No one from sports, music, or even my own space - banking. Legacy, it turns out, is relative. It’s shaped by the domain you work in and the lens you view it from.

So I asked myself: Can I name one iconic person who revolutionized banking or fintech in India? Someone who became a household name, not for founding a unicorn, but for changing how we think or behave? Honestly, I couldn’t, which it true it’s the government and regulators who innovate and fintech’s are just doing bhed chaal.

And that made me question everything. Is this the right space for me? Will this ever feel like enough?

Right now, I feel stuck between responsibilities and restlessness. One foot in reality. One in ambition. It feels like a midlife crisis, except I’m not even 30.

I’m exploring everything:

  1. Moving to Dubai to fast-track financial goals
  2. Starting something of my own
  3. Joining a rocketship at Day 0, something that feels like it might actually matter in 10 years.

Not looking for sympathy. Just putting this out there because maybe, just maybe, someone out here has been through this. Or is going through it now.

Let’s talk. DMs open. Comments welcome. What would you do if you were me?

23d ago
Jobs
One interview, 1000+ job opportunities
Take a 10-min AI interview to qualify for numerous real jobs auto-matched to your profile 🔑
+322 new users this month
SqueakyJellybean
SqueakyJellybean
TCS22d

The best advice I can think of: Stop doing anything to please others or be remembered. You'll realise lately that it's not worth anything. No one really cares what you do.

So focus on making your own life better, care for your loved ones. Your real legacy is your descendents.

This is a genuine suggestion and I am not trying to mock or insult you

SleepyBoba
SleepyBoba

True.. after doing everything marriage is biggest scam because due to any issues divorce situation arrived then everything legacy will be half

SleepyCupcake
SleepyCupcake

So true!

WigglyBagel
WigglyBagel

My view is no one sets out to build a legacy. It happens over time. Steve jobs didn't chase legacy. If you have a very specific idea then u can pursue it relentlessly else it's just a passing thought of a bored mind. We all have this experience at some point of time.

GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

True!
Do you ever think what are we even doing and whats the purpose and goal. For our place of work we think of company goals, mission vision etc before taking a tiny decision. But do we define it in our life or we are just doing bhed chal?

DerpyBoba
DerpyBoba

What problem do you want to solve?

GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

Unsure yet but something in deeptech, edtech or increasing local bodies efficiency backed by some tech. But that’s not the point i want to understand if someone at this point in career was at similar cross road and how did they navigate

GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

Want to go as far from fintech as possible 😅 done with this

DancingWaffle
DancingWaffle

Many Ambitious people try to build a legacy, but most don't have the ability to do it, everyone builds a legacy at some level, but to build a legacy so long lasting and impactful that it becomes a topic of household talk requires great ability and only a few are born with it, most people realise this during mid life crisis that they are not special, so having a very realistic assessment of your abilities is required if your ambition is extremely High, otherwise efforts put would only result in despair.

JazzyNoodle
JazzyNoodle

I don't understand whether you want to create something of your own and let that be the legacy or is it fame you're after. UPI is a legacy someone created just because you don't know his name doesn't make him less of a legend Bitcoin is another case. I genuinely feel you're confused about what you want

Here's my suggestion go for the process of 5 why. Whatever you want ask a why on that. And then ask a why for that answer continue this 5 times and you'll have a lot more clarity

GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

Yes you are right i am confused! If only i wouldn’t have been i would be following that road isn’t it.

That’s why i feel its a crisis since i am not sure what to do what path to take hence thought of asking the community.

I have tried why but everytime end up getting different answers to the same problem if thought from different point of view. I think life isnt that simple as a product that can show its true nature when put into these frameworks

JazzyNoodle
JazzyNoodle

I love your thought process and lack of ego. And the framework is a very good practice of critical thinking. As I've been there myself. It's your choice but the idea here is your thoughts have been programmed by society and typically when you dig in 5 levels you filter out a lot of noise. And the answer will probably be better than what a community can answer

WobblyCoconut
WobblyCoconut

I don't want to go off topic. But do you have some hobby ? Are you trying to learn something for your own ?

GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

I love building things, I have an active restaurant in Bangalore. I have build micro tools in office nobody asked but i did. Currently also building micro ai agents.

So i dont have hobbies like sports or dancing but yeah it is what it is

ZippyMochi
ZippyMochi

I was into marketing and content for most of my career, got disillusioned and switched to being a founder instead. Pretty challenging and rewarding so far but it was a struggle for many years, not for everyone.

I did build and contribute to legacies but it comes at a huge cost, it's not glamorous and definitely not easy unless you have good financial backing and support from friends and family.

GigglyBoba
GigglyBoba

@Bhidu did you have experience in getting big tickets clients?

ZippyBoba
ZippyBoba

Bhai, very well put. These may look very boring or silly to some but when the time hits high and you are left with nothing but these thoughts, you know then how they make you or break. What even is the point?

GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

Did you face similar things? How dis u overcome it

ZippyBoba
ZippyBoba

I don't even know if I have overcame it. I don't think I am even eligible to answer this considering my age.

SleepyPanda
SleepyPanda

I think the best example of someone who changed everything for households in India is Nandan Nilekani

SleepyPanda
SleepyPanda

You wouldn't know him as a household name, but he created Aadhaar, and was instrumental in creating UPI, both of which you'll come across in every corner of Kndia

SillyUnicorn
SillyUnicorn

Can you mention what responsibilities you are talking about? You are not 30 so assuming you are not married, but there can be more responsibilities. Can you mention them here. I was going through a similar situation a couple of years ago. So want to understand.

GroovyTaco
GroovyTaco

I have my day job, I run a restaurant on the side, I am supporting my gf in building her own beverage brand.

But the real thing that scares me in i have 4 years till i get 30 parents expect me to get married in next 2 years. I have not even built a corpus whatever i earned i spent invested in restaurant etc. I have to build my home before marriage then marriage atleast an expense of 1cr. These are the personal responsibilities plus the other professional commitments

Discover more
Curated from across