Career Stories
Title IITian Leaves Own Company Earning ₹2 Crore a Month to Work as
An IIT Kanpur alumnus with a ₹2 crore per month D2C business chose to
IITian Leaves Own Company Earning ₹2 Crore a Month to Work as Startup Engineer
A surprising career decision by an IIT Kanpur alumnus is drawing attention online after he chose to leave his own successful business to join a startup as an engineer. The story highlights how job satisfaction and personal preferences sometimes outweigh financial success and conventional entrepreneurial paths. 0
The Unusual Career Shift
According to a social media post shared by Pranshi Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of the Bellish Group, she recently met an IIT Kanpur graduate who had built a direct-to-consumer shoe brand generating close to ₹2 crore in monthly sales. Despite this remarkable financial success, the founder became disillusioned with the operational challenges of manufacturing, especially the way his partners in Surat ran the day-to-day processes. 1
Interestingly, he ultimately decided to leave entrepreneurship behind and accepted a role as an engineer at a Gurgaon-based startup that has raised Series A funding. 2
Why He Made the Decision
The primary reason behind this unusual switch was not financial but operational and personal preference. The founder grew weary of managing supply chain issues and the complexities tied to manufacturing. In his view, solving engineering problems in a startup environment aligned better with his mindset as an engineer. 3
Chaturvedi shared that despite the company’s monthly sales figures, the founder did not enjoy the intricacies of dealing with manufacturers, labor issues, and supplier management — a factor that drove him to pursue work that would let him focus on product and engineering challenges instead. 4
Community Reaction
The story has generated online discussion, with many users expressing surprise at someone giving up a successful business for a job. Some reactions include thoughts about how difficult manufacturing work can be and praise for the courage it takes to walk away from financial success in pursuit of personal satisfaction. 5
Lessons for Professionals and Founders
This story highlights important insights for anyone pursuing entrepreneurship or tech careers:
1. Financial Success Isn’t Everything
While earning well is important, personal satisfaction and interest in the nature of work also matter.
2. Operational Challenges Can Impact Decisions
Managing manufacturing, supply chains, and people can require different skills than running a tech startup or engineering role.
3. Career Paths Are Not Linear
This IITian’s decision shows that changing roles, industries, or responsibilities — even after success — is becoming more acceptable in modern professional life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would someone leave a business earning ₹2 crore per month?
Individual preferences and job satisfaction can outweigh financial incentives. In this case, operational challenges and lack of alignment with personal interests were primary reasons. 6
Is this a trend among professionals?
Career shifts like this are becoming more common, especially as people prioritize work they enjoy over traditional markers of success.
Does this reflect poorly on entrepreneurship?
Not necessarily. It highlights that entrepreneurship is hard work and not suited for everyone long-term, especially when operational issues take away enthusiasm.
Final Thoughts
This unusual career decision by an IIT alumnus serves as a reminder that success is not just about numbers. Personal interest, job satisfaction, and alignment with long-term goals are powerful motivators in shaping career choices in 2026 and beyond. 7