A Delhi-based entrepreneur recently opened up about making the hard transition from being a “Google guy with a great job” to an “unemployed new dad with a failed startup.” Rohit Sakunia, who is now in his 40s, bid goodbye to what many conventionally deem a “secure” job when he parted ways with the Sundar Pichai-led tech giant in his 30s.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Sakunia now “helps brands and leaders win attention in a crowded digital world” as the founder director of ArtEMediatech, a leading creative and media agency in India. As the co-founder of InViz AI established in 2017, he has been attached to the technology development and strategy consulting company for nearly a decade now.
However, starting anew as an entrepreneur after quitting his Google connection was not a day’s task. As per his LinkedIn profile, Sakunia stayed in his ‘Community Manager, Asia Pac’ role for two years. He has since revamped his social media presence altogether.
Through his Instagram page, he’s found a channel to vent his personal thoughts and voice all those emotions that may have otherwise been left unsaid during his “corporate job” era.
How Delhi founder lost his confidence after quitting Google job
Across several such IG posts, he’s shared his candid takes on how it seemed as if he had “it figured out.” As it turns out, “a secure job at Google,” an offer to work in Dubai and the temptation of “seven figures” wasn’t all that he had signed up for. And so, he said no. He quit Google in his 30s, but making the big leap wasn’t something to be romanticised.
In December, Rohit Sakunia shared a post about how he wasn’t prepared for what came next after he quit his “9-5 at Google.” One of the first harsh truths that smacked him in the face after leaving a conventional job was: “Your ego is the first thing that dies.”
“Going from “Google guy with a great job” to “unemployed new dad with a failed startup” was the fastest identity collapse of my life,” he captioned his post.
He further confessed at the time that the drastic switch undeniably “shattered every bit of confidence” he had. Soon enough, his browser was full of “how to start again” tabs while he suffered from “zero motivation” and “zero clarity” while being stuck between the “same four walls every day.”
In his IG post, he admitted to telling his loved ones that he was still figuring it out. However, the grappling with a combination of newfound fatherhood with “no income” and “shame from failure” couldn’t be hidden for long. He even confessed to feeling two emotions – love and pressure – all at once while holding his newborn baby.
Among the several lessons learnt along the way, Sakunia reflected, “Failure has a smell. That is called humility. It beats you down and shreds any ego you have.”
And then, unbeknownst to himself, the vicious cycle flipped out of nowhere. Sakunia added, “You rebuild yourself. Without knowing, I became more grounded, more patient, more aware of what actually matters.”
Without mincing his words, the Delhi founder divulged, “If you think I had an ‘aha’ or a breakthrough moment, nothing could be further from the truth. You see how the good guys in the movies finally just get stronger and get everything they want. Reality is none of that. I don’t know about stronger or wiser, but I came out knowing exactly what I never want to put my family through again. Thats good enough for me.”
Delhi entrepreneur rejected high-paying Dubai job offer
In a separate post shared that same month, Sakunia revealed that at one point he even received an offer to work in Dubai, but he turned down that opportunity as well.
“Seven figures can lure anyone, especially in Dubai,” he wrote on Instagram. “But my vision was beyond a number. I’ve always wanted to build my own. and earn more than this, while staying in India.”
Spilling his heart’s true desire, the Delhi entrepreneur also opened up about his family having always been his priority. And so, living away from them already sounded like a nightmare to home, thereby prompting his negative response to what may otherwise have been a tempting offer for some others.
“Seven figures sounds huge in India,” he added. “But in Dubai, the cost of living is so high that even that number starts feeling smaller than it looks.”
Sakunia also envisioned his future being riddled with “visa hassles” in case he would have to fly back to India during family emergencies. The uncertainty of permanent residency abroad was yet another factor that dissuaded him from making the big move. “Your life is tied to your job,” he wrote. “Lose it, and you may have weeks to leave. Lose it, and you may have weeks to leave.”