Bengaluru Techie’s Rocky Journey: From Rs 1 Crore Amazon Job to Startup Struggles

In a candid revelation, a Bengaluru-based tech professional shared his challenging journey after leaving a lucrative Rs 1 crore job at Amazon to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams in the AI space. Despite initial traction, he faced multiple setbacks and is now navigating the uncertainties of the startup world.

The Bold Decision

Shakti Mani Tripathi, a software engineer at Amazon, decided to leave his high-paying job to start his own AI-based startup. Driven by a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, Tripathi embarked on this new journey without a backup plan. His first venture, Hoobahoo AI, aimed at using AI for various business applications, but it faced significant challenges, including rejection from Y Combinator and unsuccessful pitches to over 30 venture capitalists.

Series of Setbacks

Undeterred by the initial failure, Tripathi and his co-founder Kunal Ranjan pivoted to a new idea—a B2B SaaS platform designed to help engineering teams track productivity metrics. However, they soon realized that measuring software engineers’ productivity involved too much qualitative nuance, leading them to abandon the project. Their next attempt, Codermon AI, an AI agent for developers’ ad-hoc tasks, also faced an overcrowded market, forcing them to pivot again.

Perseverance and Learning

Despite the string of setbacks, Tripathi and his team continued to explore new ideas. They shifted their focus to the supply chain industry, aiming to develop an AI agent for procurement. However, their lack of prior work experience in this domain made it difficult to make meaningful progress. Tripathi then started working on Reflecc AI, rapidly developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in just seven days and conducting interviews with over 50 potential clients and industry thought leaders.

Mixed Results and Future Hopes

Tripathi’s efforts with Reflecc AI began to show some promise, securing three Letters of Intent (LOIs) from potential clients. However, they still faced challenges, including rejection from Y Combinator’s top 10% of applications. Tripathi candidly shared his journey on social media, expressing his hope that 2025 wouldn’t force him to return to being an employee.

Conclusion

Shakti Mani Tripathi’s journey from a high-paying job at Amazon to the uncertainties of the startup world highlights the challenges and resilience required to pursue entrepreneurial dreams. Despite the setbacks, Tripathi remains determined to continue his journey, learning from each experience and striving for success.

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