A Decade in the Trenches: Hard Truths from My Startup Journey

“When you die, have memories rather than dreams”. This adage didn’t just inspire, it pushed me to take the leap! 

Here are 10 hard-earned lessons from my decade-long journey of entrepreneurship - the highs, the lows and everything in between.

1️⃣ Success is Overrated; Survival is Underrated - In the early years, my biggest win wasn’t scaling or raising funds—it was simply keeping the business alive. Pushing through when quitting seemed easier. It was about showing up, day after day, when no one was clapping. It was less about glory and more about grit. Make resilience your superpower.

2️⃣ Work for ownership, not just a pay-check - I quickly realised that when you work for a salary, you're renting out your time—your income stops when you stop working. Without ownership, your inputs are always tied to your outputs, limiting your upside. Equity lets you earn beyond your hours and creates lasting wealth. Build or buy equity in a business.

3️⃣ You’ll lose people—co-founders, employees, even friends - I have felt entrepreneurship is lonely at times. Not everyone will believe in your vision. Some will betray you. Some won’t understand your journey; others won’t stick around when things get tough. The ones who have stayed— I treat them like Gold. Play long term games with long term people. 

4️⃣ Sales is the ultimate founder’s skill - I spent years in technology, avoiding sales and secretly thinking salespeople had it easy. Then I experienced a  brutal truth: nothing sells itself—sales is everything. It’s about selling your vision to investors, your mission to employees, and trust to your customers. Sales is not optional, it’s the only survival toolkit you need.

5️⃣ Network Like Your Growth Depends on It – It didn’t take me long to realise that your success is directly proportional to the strength of your network. Surround yourself with founders, mentors, investors and doers. It’s not about transactional connections; it’s about building a community that supports each other. Build genuine relationships in your network.

6️⃣  A founder’s salary? Call it a joke, a sacrifice, or an investment. I may have put in 80+hours every week for a salary that’s a fraction of what I would have made in a corporate job. No bonuses, no stability, just the hope that one day, it pays off. And yet, despite the sleepless nights and empty bank accounts, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Freedom is a Choice.

7️⃣ You overestimate what’s possible in a year and underestimate what’s possible in a decade. Compounding is the closest thing to magic. Small, consistent actions—stack up silently. The hardest part? Sticking with it when nothing is working. It became clear to me that one day, the curve shall bend in your favour. Believe in the power of Compounding.  

8️⃣ The biggest killer of startups? Founders lying to themselves. Convincing yourself that things are “fine” when they’re not is the fastest way to crash. Ignoring red flags, sugarcoating problems, or delaying tough decisions only makes failure inevitable. The market doesn’t look at your optimism—it cares about results. Over the last decade, I’ve explored multiple ventures—most failed, some survived, and a few took off. Pivot or Persevere is the mantra.

9️⃣ An unsung hero - Behind every entrepreneur grinding through the chaos, there’s often an unsung hero— In my case it was my wife. She’s the one who believed when I had nothing to show. The one who held things together while I chased a dream that didn’t always make sense. Through the highs and the gut-wrenching lows, she never asked, “Is this worth it?”—she just stood by me, knowing I’d figure it out. Family provides the kind of backing no VC can match.

🔟 Enjoy the Journey – The highs and lows aren’t obstacles—they are the journey. If you’re only chasing the outcome, you’ll never find fulfilment. The Bhagavad Gita’s Karm Yog principle teaches us to act without attachment to results—because true growth happens in the process, not just the outcome. Success and failure are just fleeting moments. I detach myself from the results, give my best effort, with the most honest intention and let the divine grace of Guru-Hari illuminate my journey. Become an Arjun!

If you’re in the trenches right now, keep going. The breakthrough always feels impossible—until it happens.

And when it does, you’ll know: every bit of the struggle was worth it. 🚀