Man I (non SWE/tech person) just want to earn in foreign currency (better than India) but still be able to build for India. Why does it have to be so hard 😭 I’ve worked towards building global pro...

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

Man I (non SWE/tech person) just want to earn in foreign currency (better than India) but still be able to build for India. Why does it have to be so hard 😭 I’ve worked towards building global products and somehow found myself really detached after a while. I’m so keen on building something for India but no one ever pays a non tech person that much here

A dream to earn in $ but build for India

Product Marketing Manager

A dream to earn in $ but build for India- Grapevine

Hello everyone,

I'm Varun, the co-founder of Mesa School of Business. We’re Asia’s first startup focused business school focused on fostering the next generation of startup leaders in India.

Prior to Mesa, I was a Sr. Product Manager at Amazon in Seattle, and did my MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

I'd love to chat with you folks about my journey in building Mesa, my thoughts on higher education, 0-to-1 building, amongst other things.

Ask me anything! :)
I'll be back at 5 pm and start answering.

I'm Varun, Co-Founder at Mesa School of Business. Ask me anything!

Founder

I love to read about tech and how startups evolved. Have spent a lot of time figuring out how the good product companies in the US got built: Google, FB, Instagram, Snap, Pinterest etc. etc. 

One thing stands out: A lot of these started out as just projects, and not a real startup. 
Instagram was just an idea to make photo filtering better. Reddit was just a project around making a cooler internet.

They set off as projects, and got some traction before becoming funded startups. Because they had devs in the founding team, who were always doing projects as side hustles. 

This wasn't the time when SDE salaries were so pumped up, they didn't want to just become good devs, they probably wanted to solve real problems. 

My takeaway: 

Maybe Engineers shouldn’t be too incentivised to just code. They should be incentivised to think business. 
Thats how FB, Google, Insta etc happened as companies.

In India, high pay endears engineers to stick to coding, do less business thinking.
That’s why we don’t see too many coders posting their side projects on X, Reddit, GV within India. Maybe there just aren’t enough. 

Have just been thinking about this. 

Open to thoughts from the community - maybe my view is limited. Would love to hear.

Why Silicon Valley became Silicon Valley, and why that will likely not happen in India

This is an actually very true. 
  
 I’ve seen developers who are very good in the stuff they do but lack the thinking from a customer / business POV. They take the PRD and convert it into code but never ever question whether this is the experience they want to provide to the end user.  
  
 Everyone needs to understand code is a way to achieve business and to achieve business , you would need to think from a business prospective. 
  
 That’s why , I always tell my juniors whenever they code , always take a step back and put yourself in the customer shoes and think what you are doing is what you want as a customer or not

Software Developer

Corporate Strategist

Hiring for a bunch of roles for an early stage startup. Salaries of people who have been laid off is through the roof

2-3 years experience asking for 30-40l and while we chose not to judge the experience and spoke to a few of them, most of them are not even worth half of the pay. 

Many are jobless since last 2-3 months and none of them are willing to take a paycut of even 5-6L and are willing to stay jobless ( probably have a ton of savings )

Market correction is necessary.

Roles : PM, software engineers, generalists

What's wrong with salaries

If you are paid less, don’t extrapolate it on others. If they are willing to wait, let them. You should keep praying for “corrections”.

Product Manager

Welcome to Moving Abroad's Private Community

I have many friends who are into IT and Tech(read again Tech not IT). Whenever I am speaking to the IT folks and understand their aspirations I always find that they have this strange thing mentioned every now and then i.e. Going to the Clients location(all overseas) for a couple of months and coming back or extending for a longer duration say a few years and purchasing a house/flat back in India. 

I don't understand how going to the client's location(even if it's on Mars) and earning $$$ can be life's ultimate goal. 

What am I missing here? 

I am not able to understand since I have always believed that life's ultimate goal would be always bigger for people(achievable/non achievable are different things). 
Does working in IT make people so myopic that they are destined to think in  the straight line process and wait for that token(at least what I have heard is that it's some weird selection they do to select and send you abroad on the projects). May be this thought process makes most of the crowd stick to the systems for years and decades at work. Is it considered that bigger of an achievement OR Is it a way to make people stick around for longer duration ?

What am I missing here ?

How can life goals be so small ?

Why do IT folks consider going at Clients location(foreign location) at their ultimate goal in their life?

Question came up because it’s Independence Day 🇮🇳
A lot of us have had the privilege to be able to go abroad, but ended up choosing not to.

For me, it was just believing there’s enough growth here in the coming few decades + friends/family

Looking to hear if the reduced brain drain is actually true, and what makes people stay.

To people who choose to stay in India, what made you stay? 🪷

For me it was the army and followed by my corporate job. I never felt like leaving the country. It’s always better to live like a first class citizen in a 3rd world country than a third class citizen in a first world country. 
  
 In addition to this, family is what defines us as Indians and that kept me hinged back home

Software Engineer

Last 3 years of startups have been all about SaaS. I just don't get it. So far, it was about solving real problems at scale.
First with consumer websites (google etc), then software, then shopping & delivery (amazon swiggy zomato fk etc etc) 

And now, it's all SaaS:
- Imma build a startup to help white businessmen in America do better billing 
- Imma build a 360 degree feedback tool specifically for Norwegian miners 
- Imma build a SaaS software to help HR people note down who isn't dressed properly
- Imma build a software to help hillbillies in the US better manage their trucking company

Like how are smart people in India taking up entrepreneurship to build these ideas that are dull and feel like the end of life? How does anybody become excited by this? 

is it just money? what am I missing?

SaaS: Why are people so attracted to it? (mini rant)

Analyst

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

Currently with 3+ yrs of experience and earning around 36 LPA ( 28 fixed and 8 esops ). Getting a feeling like I am not earning enough and also I am getting a FOMO looking at my friends who are doing MS and settled in US. I want to experience it, but not sure if it’s worth it or should I look for switch to get out that fomo? It’s now or never for doing MS as I am will be getting almost 4-5 yrs experience in next few years. Also, Feeling like I am getting old for MS 

Please give suggestions.

Should I do MS ?

Welcome to Personal Finance's Private Community

My current salary is 42LPA. I am from IIT, have 7 years of experience and work in product. Honestly, my value in the market is higher than what I’m being paid but I am very demotivated to optimise for that. When I do see less deserving people minting more money, I feel that I am doing injustice to myself and playing the wrong hand.

More and more though, the thought of earning more money chokes me a bit. I have dreams of building something of my own - that gives me control to build something my way and freedom to live my life as per my terms. But the mindset of “zyada paisa pareshaani hai” doesn’t leave me.

My family also is not dependent on me and whatever is needed from my side, I actively contribute to. I also lack any motivation to focus on my investments and see my money grow. I just have money sitting around in my bank account purely for nothing

I also look at my lifestyle choices from time to time and go into existential debate of why we need the things that we do. This has come to a point where I really do not understand my relationship with money and why we earn and spend it. 

For me at this point, it’s just a show for the world. There’s very little that you need, and really no limit to what you want to show. And I just don’t see a point in it anymore.

I am demotivated to work to earn more money

Hey @Hungryninja  
 Extremely relatable and very beautiful write up 
  
 I get the trouble you face. When you’ve almost figured out what you like and what you don’t like (that money isn’t thaaat needle moving, I have basic needs) but at the same time, the opportunity cost of relaxing is too high - everybody from your batch will remind you of how far you can go, and the middle class boy in you will find it difficult to stomach letting go of all the money, even though you can make it  
  
 Went through this at one point. I have ultimately sided with money. I cannot sit back and relax. Money will only unlock a lot of foreign travel and good lifestyle for me. But more than that, I am lucky to be in a position that allows me to earn money easier than other people do. So I’ll make it, help extended family and people who cannot earn as easily, because at least in a country like India, it’s almost a responsibility. We’re not fucking Europe. 
  
 I’ll just not kill myself for it as much as I used to :)

Investment Associate

Product Owner

Hello everyone,
I'm currently in the final stages of interviews with a German firm, but I have some concerns about the salary. Could someone please advise me on what would be the equivalent salary for 45 Lpa in India?
Thanks in advance for your insights!

Equivalent German Salary for Indian 45 LPA

Team Lead

I’m a final year student based out of India, and am currently doing the last month of my internship at a SF based startup. As the only DevOps engineer, and being quite skilled at at (at least according to myto YoE), I was getting paid around 2 LPA per month as a part time intern for the past 6 months. 

I recently got another 3 month internship offer from a foreign company, and I’m taking it since I don’t want to get stuck at remote job in India, and explore some abroad companies as well before I settle. Pay there is also quite good, but I don’t wish to take FTE there as I have to live in India only (family reasons, rural background, younger siblings and their study, etc.)

Now when I finally start my job hunt in the final days of my winter internship, what should be the pay I expect from Indian / Remote companies? Considering I was getting paid a fair amount as mentioned above even in a part time role. Or was I overpaid and I should keep my expectations low or equal to it in a Full Time Role?

Need a reality check: Am I getting overpaid?

I am working remotely at a SaaS company for 4+ years now. I started working since my final year of engineering. I joined here as a software engineering intern when the product was really new and booming. I have gotten bored of my work now, especially since I have been working from home all the time. I have very little social life. And I am getting fixed salary of about $1400 each month. I am thinking of switching to any Indian startup because I am not happy with my job being so monotonous and less pay at this level of experience. What should be the approach to crack the interviews? I have done DSA practice during my college days, but didn't crack any interviews with it. I am a full stack web developer but it doesn't excite me anymore and I want to stick to backend roles. And is it possible to crack an interview with for 30-40 LPA at this stage? Or do I have to climb up a salary ladder for a couple of years?

Switching to Indian startups job

Apart from salaries, what are some compelling reasons that make you prefer US over EU/Canada inspite of immigration hurdles that's akin to walking on egg shells? What's your rationale behind not pursuing opportunities in Europe or Canada where it's possible to get a similar quality of life, lesser immigration related headaches, better work life balance, healthcare that doesn't burn a hole in your wallet, etc.

Fellow born brudders and sisters, what makes you choose US over EU/Canada?

Why India does not have technology-based product companies and why early companies like TCS, Infosys etc did not focus on the product.

India lacks technology companies.

Im having 9yrs of experience as a web developer in Pune and I just went for 1w trip to Dubai. Its Outstanding! Swear by God!

Planning to seek out a job there.

Will it be the best decision considering I'm having a stable job at Infosys.

I want to settle and have a family there and live a life of very high standards.

India feels like shit 

Sharks your advice will mean a lot!

Shift to Dubai for better life

I'm choosing to ignore your last statement about India unlike other triggered people in the comments and answering the actual question.  
  
 Reasons to move: 
 1) 0 tax 
 2) In general higher paying jobs but also higher cost of living (You need to evaluate this basis the offer you get compare it with your current salary after PPP) 
 3) Better quality of life (Road safety, Infra) 
 4) Opens more easier avenues to travel around Europe 
  
 Reasons to stay 
 1) Parents ( Now you'd say I plan to visit or come back but no one I know till today has come back despite having crores of savings.  
 2) Friends and social circle established here over the years 
 3) Few rules in Dubai are stricter than that of India's (You have to figure out these differences and if they work for you) 
  
 To me there seems to more upside than there is downside in moving to Dubai however both my spouse and I decided to never shift out of India for our parents.

Growth Manager

Technical Lead

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

I work at a Web3 company, with an in-hand of $85K annually, but I feel my coworkers earn way more. I am a fresher out of college, but I've been dabbling with Web2 for 4 years, and Web3 for 2 years.
Just wanted to know if the salary is unjustified or not.

Are Web3 Remote Devs underpaid in India?

Hi folks,

I have freelanced on upwork earlier and maximum reached $20/hour in development gigs but got burned out by constant pressure of rebidding once the current project gets over. The profile is still 5 star rated but getting full time job through these freelancing platform require lots of marketing and bidding and it’s difficult with day job. However recently I have seem trend where there are some genuine folks such as harkirat who are upping the game by earning around 5 crore annually through posh remote jobs. Has anyone of you tried pursuing that route by reaching out to founders of early stage startups on twitter/linked in or used freelancing portals such as upwork to get full time gigs which pays more than $100k remotely. If yes please share some guidance. 

My stack: Mern /java full stack dev exp:7 years 

Video ref: https://youtu.be/8gbLg8MCWqg?si=OBAsoEvJPG3e1mSH

Earning 5crore plus on remote jobs

step 1) stop believing influencers.. they always sell success stories of top 5%

Cloud Architect

Anyone have Connections in abroad for work visa sponsorship job companies🙈

Connect with me on Instagram id @jyotsna.bhasin99

Moving Abroad

Finance Operations

To all the people who have been laid off recently, don’t get disheartened. I have been laid off thrice and every time, I got a better offer and higher salary.  If you have given your 100% and still end up getting laid off the fault is not on you. I now have started believing it happens for a greater good. 

Things to remember is always have a emergency fund, minimum 6 months of survival money, whichever city you are working/living on. This includes everything car emi if any, home loan emi if any, children education expenses if any, sum total of each and every expenses that you incur per month. 

This will give you financial cushion, you will not join the first company which rolls out an offer, you will have the leverage. 

If you have skills you will always find the next opportunity.

Note: If you fall in the category of ppl who were working in deeply funded companies with exorbitantly insane salaries defying gravity, accept the reality of the market correction settle for less and cut down on lifestyle inflation. 

4-5 years experience getting 80-90L in fixed was anyways not sustainable, it would have corrected sooner or later

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