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Indian founder on leaving job to build startup
Indian founder opens up about quitting job to build startup: ‘Everyone lied about the freedom’
Indian founder opens up about quitting job to build startup: ‘Everyone lied about the freedom’
An Indian founder shared how quitting his job for a startup brought freedom, anxiety and more tasks than expected.
Published on: May 14, 2026 9:23 PM IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Share via Copy link An Indian founder’s candid take on leaving a job to build his own company has struck a chord with social media users. Taking to Instagram, Mehul Agarwal shared a video in which he spoke about the emotional highs and lows of stepping into entrepreneurship after quitting a job that he described as draining. An Indian founder revealed that startup life felt chaotic after leaving his job, though he enjoyed building his own venture. (Instagram/mehulinnyc) (Also read: Indian founder cops backlash for withholding offer letters for 30 days: ‘Insulting’) In the video, Agarwal said, “Everyone said quitting a job to start your own company feels like freedom, and trust me, everyone lied. Okay, it does feel like freedom, but just for like 11 minutes. Then you open your laptop and you realize, 'everything is on me now.'” He added that only two weeks ago, he was complaining about his boss giving him too many tasks. However, after leaving his job, he realised that having no boss did not mean having fewer responsibilities. (Also read: Gurgaon founder calls out India's long-hours work culture, says 'Being available 24/7 doesn’t make you valuable') “Two weeks back, I was complaining that my boss is giving me too many tasks. Now, I have no boss, but somehow I have more tasks. Wait, what? How did that happen?” he said.‘I was questioning every life decision’
Agarwal then described how the first few days after quitting his job unfolded. He said he began with “founder energy”, waking up early and planning the next three months of his journey. “This is what my past few days have looked like. Day one, I woke up at 6 AM, founder energy, and I spent the whole day planning what my next three months would look like. Very productive,” he said. He continued, “Day two, again, I woke up at 6 AM, same founder energy, and I redid the whole plan. Very productive, again, nothing to complain about that. Day three, I woke up at 6 AM again, but I was missing that energy. I was anxious, and looking at that sheet of paper of my plan for the next three months, I was questioning every life decision that I've taken so far.” Speaking about the fourth day, Agarwal joked that instead of working on the plan, he was making a video about it. (Also read: Jaipur founder names office spaces after Pink City landmarks, urges firms to value Indian heritage)Internet reacts to founder’s honest take
The clip was shared with the caption, “they lied.” It soon garnered reactions from users who related to the pressure, uncertainty and excitement that come with building something from scratch. One user wrote, “This is the most honest founder update I have seen in a while.” Another said, “The 11 minutes of freedom part is painfully accurate.” HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received. (Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mahipal Singh Chouhan Mahipal Singh Chouhan is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital, with nearly five years of experience in digital journalism and content production. His work primarily focuses on offbeat and trending stories that reflect everyday experiences and evolving conversations on the internet. He has consistently worked on transforming viral content and human interest stories into structured news pieces that engage readers while maintaining editorial clarity. At Hindustan Times, Mahipal contributes to identifying and developing stories emerging from social media trends, online communities, and real-world incidents that capture public attention. His approach involves adding context and journalistic perspective to fast-moving digital narratives, helping present viral moments in a clear and reader-friendly format suited for digital audiences. Before joining Hindustan Times Digital, he was associated with DNA India, where he gained experience in newsroom workflows and digital storytelling practices. Mahipal holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi. He is particularly interested in tracking emerging trends and understanding how online conversations evolve into broader public discussions. His work reflects a focus on accuracy, readability, and relevance in the rapidly changing digital news environment. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Mahipal takes an interest in history and sports and regularly works on improving his general knowledge, which complements his curiosity as a media professional.Read More Entrepreneurship Freedom Founder Startup Get Latest Updates on Trending News Viral News, Video, Photos and Weather Updates of India and around the world Home/Trending/Indian Founder Opens Up About Quitting Job To Build Startup: ‘Everyone Lied About The Freedom’ See LessAn Indian founder’s candid take on leaving a job to build his own company has struck a chord with social media users. Taking to Instagram, Mehul Agarwal shared a video in which he spoke about the emotional highs and lows of stepping into entrepreneurship after quitting a job that he described as draining.
(Also read: Indian founder cops backlash for withholding offer letters for 30 days: ‘Insulting’)
In the video, Agarwal said, “Everyone said quitting a job to start your own company feels like freedom, and trust me, everyone lied. Okay, it does feel like freedom, but just for like 11 minutes. Then you open your laptop and you realize, 'everything is on me now.'”
He added that only two weeks ago, he was complaining about his boss giving him too many tasks. However, after leaving his job, he realised that having no boss did not mean having fewer responsibilities.
(Also read: Gurgaon founder calls out India's long-hours work culture, says 'Being available 24/7 doesn’t make you valuable')
“Two weeks back, I was complaining that my boss is giving me too many tasks. Now, I have no boss, but somehow I have more tasks. Wait, what? How did that happen?” he said.
“This is what my past few days have looked like. Day one, I woke up at 6 AM, founder energy, and I spent the whole day planning what my next three months would look like. Very productive,” he said.
He continued, “Day two, again, I woke up at 6 AM, same founder energy, and I redid the whole plan. Very productive, again, nothing to complain about that. Day three, I woke up at 6 AM again, but I was missing that energy. I was anxious, and looking at that sheet of paper of my plan for the next three months, I was questioning every life decision that I've taken so far.”
Speaking about the fourth day, Agarwal joked that instead of working on the plan, he was making a video about it.
(Also read: Jaipur founder names office spaces after Pink City landmarks, urges firms to value Indian heritage)
One user wrote, “This is the most honest founder update I have seen in a while.” Another said, “The 11 minutes of freedom part is painfully accurate.”
HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
Source: HindustanTimes
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