Leaving behind a secure and well-paying job to start a business is a dream for many, but the journey is often filled with unexpected challenges. Harsh Pokharna, an IIT Kanpur graduate and co-founder of Bengaluru-based OkCredit, recently shared his decade-long entrepreneurial experience, highlighting the difficulties of building a startup from the ground up.
Pokharna left his job at Flipkart with the ambition of “making a lot of money quickly,” inspired by the success stories of startup founders securing massive funding. However, reality proved to be much harsher than he had imagined.
Early struggles
Despite experimenting with three different business ideas, none of them gained traction. As a result, Pokharna found himself financially drained, with his savings completely exhausted. To sustain himself, he turned to freelancing while continuing to work on potential startup ideas.
When asked what kind of freelancing he did, Pokharna simply responded: “Coding.”
After two years of continuous failures, he co-founded OkCredit, a digital ledger platform designed to help small businesses manage their transactions. Over time, the startup gained momentum, proving that persistence and patience were key to entrepreneurial success.
Harsh reality of startups
Pokharna’s experience underscored an important lesson—success in the startup world is never instant. He emphasised that building a business is a long-term process, not a shortcut to wealth. Entrepreneurs need to be driven by a genuine passion for solving problems rather than the allure of quick financial gains.
His candid reflection resonated with aspiring entrepreneurs, many of whom shared their own struggles in securing mentorship and funding. Some praised his perseverance as a source of inspiration, while others appreciated his honesty.
One netizen commented, “Harsh Pokharna’s journey is truly inspiring. It reminds us to keep pushing forward.” Another added, “It’s rare to see someone openly share their failures. This honesty is refreshing.”