It's okay to be normal and ordinary

27 Male ,got an offer of 20.5 lpa. Most of the people I know here at grapevine are making way more and friends in my circle are making around 35-50 lpa. Now I am confused,I have a lot of questions in my head. Did I slack off? Or did I do okay?Cause I was avg in college(7.6 cgpa) tier -3 and started my job at non-dev role. I thought market was down hence I was happy with 20.5 lpa,but now I see folks making more money. My progression : 3 lpa to 5 lpa (Accenture for 2 years) service based S.A.P basis job. Drone tech startup: ML Engineer (2.3 yoe)[8-12 LPA] Now I will be joining an MNC : As Sr.MLE offer in hand (20.5 LPA) Overall I have 4.3 yoe. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I might be insecure,I cannot talk about this problem with my parents or friends (or anyone around me)

As I'm entering a new stage of life, I'm starting to reevaluate my career priorities. In my 20s, I was all about climbing the ladder and chasing prestige. Now, I'm more focused on finding work that aligns with my values and allows for a balanced lifestyle. Have any of you gone through a similar shift? How did it change your career trajectory? And how do you define success for yourself now versus when you first started out?

Saw the new FIRE community here on Grapevine, thought of sharing my story here. Let's talk about money, startups, and the misleading "get rich quick" mentality that's captivating our generation. I'm 32, and I've been with TCS for 11 years. Yes, TCS. Not a trendy startup, not a unicorn, just good old Tata Consultancy Services. And I've just reached a 1Cr net worth. Before you assume I'm a senior executive or had family wealth, let me clarify. I started as a fresh graduate earning 3.5 LPA. My parents are middle-class government employees. I had no special advantages or lucky breaks. What I did have was discipline. Pure, unglamorous discipline. While my college friends hopped between startups, chasing ESOPs and IPO dreams, I stayed put. I lived modestly, invested consistently, and focused on steady growth. Here's the unvarnished truth: 1. Most startups fail. Your ESOPs are worthless if the company doesn't succeed. 2. Even if your startup thrives, the chances of making life-changing money are slim. You're more likely to end up overworked and burnt out. 3. FIRE is unrealistic for most people, especially through startup gambles. 4. Slow and steady really does win the race. My journey wasn't exciting. It looked like this: - Lived with roommates until 28 - Drove a second-hand Alto while peers financed luxury cars - Invested 50% of my salary monthly, without exception - Educated myself about index funds, debt funds, and asset allocation - Declined expensive trips and unnecessary luxuries - Focused on upskilling and steady promotions at TCS Was it always enjoyable? No. Did I sometimes feel left behind when friends posted about startup funding or fancy perks? Absolutely. But you know what's truly satisfying? Reaching 1Cr net worth at 32 through consistent, unexciting progress. I'm not saying everyone should work at TCS or that startups are bad. If you genuinely love the startup world, pursue it. But do it because you love the work, not because you think it's your ticket to early retirement. The startup world has sold us a fantasy. They've glorified overwork, made "hustle" a personality trait, and convinced a generation that success only comes through a miraculous exit. That's simply not true. Success often looks like showing up daily, living below your means, and making smart, consistent choices with your money. To the 20-somethings chasing startup dreams and thinking ESOPs will enable early retirement - reconsider. The odds aren't in your favor. Instead, think about this: - Find a stable, fulfilling job - Live well below your means - Invest aggressively and consistently - Focus on steady career growth - Ignore flashy social media lifestyles It's not exciting. It won't get you media attention. But it works. Here's the best part: this path has allowed me to have a balanced life. I'm married with a young child, and I get to spend quality time with them every day. I play with my kid after work, I'm present for family dinners, and I even have time for my hobbies on weekends. I'm not constantly stressed about the next funding round or pulling all-nighters to meet impossible deadlines. I have the mental space to be fully present with my family, and that's priceless. I'm not planning to retire soon. I actually enjoy my job and the stability it provides. But reaching this milestone has given me options and peace of mind that no startup gamble could offer. So, is anyone else out there quietly building wealth without the drama? Let's hear your stories. And to those still pursuing the startup dream - I wish you the best. But consider that the less exciting path might be the one that actually leads to both financial success and a fulfilling personal life.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Slow is smooth, smooth is fast :)

I think I'm losing my mind. I'm a 32-year-old guy in tech, graduated from IIIT Delhi, earning 78L annually, but I feel like I'm fooling everyone, including myself. It's as if I'm constantly waiting for someone to burst into the office and shout, "Hey, fraud! We've finally figured out you're actually useless!" I know it sounds like I'm humble-bragging, but trust me, I'm not. This feeling is eating me alive. Seven years ago, I started as a regular software engineer. Somehow, I kept getting promoted. Now I'm leading a team of 15 people, handling critical projects, and sitting in meetings with the higher-ups. But every time I'm in those meetings, I feel like a kid wearing his dad's oversized suit, pretending to be an adult. I work my ass off - late nights, weekends, you name it. But I always feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water. When my team comes to me with problems, I'm secretly panicking, thinking, "Why are you asking me? I'm as clueless as you!" The worst part? Everyone around me seems to think I'm some kind of wunderkind. My boss is always praising me in front of others. My team looks up to me. Even my parents are bragging about me to all our relatives. But inside, I'm constantly terrified that I'll make one tiny mistake and everyone will realize I'm a fraud. I see my college batchmates on LinkedIn, and they all seem so confident and successful. Meanwhile, I'm here, earning more than I ever thought I would, but feeling like I don't deserve any of it. I can't even enjoy my success. I bought a nice house last year, but instead of feeling proud, I keep thinking, "What if they fire me tomorrow? How will I pay for this?" It's like I'm waiting for everything to come crashing down. I know it's ridiculous to complain about a high-paying job when so many people are struggling. But this constant fear of being "found out" is driving me insane. I can't even talk to my friends about it because they'll probably think I'm just showing off. Has anyone else felt like this? How do you deal with feeling like a fraud when everyone thinks you're successful? Is this just part of adult life that no one talks about? This is what eats me alive during weekends, realised it's Friday and panic typed this here

Being anonymous gives me a safe space. But life is getting tougher than ever each day. I wish I had a better paying job. I wish I had time to have slow mornings. I wish I could provide for my family and give them the things they much deserve. I wish I had a chance to rewire rewind and restart. I wish I could do more than I wish to do. It's all wishes guys . It's all hopes. . Nothing seems fulfilling. Nothing seems to make me happy. I have forgotten what carefree days were like. Adulting is kinda hitting hard. I am not able to cope up. Can someone relate?

29F, IIT & IIM grad. Thought I had it all figured out. Boy, was I wrong. Post-grad, I went full-on hustle mode. Guru worship 24/7. Gary Vee, desi "entrepreneurs" on Insta - you name it, I followed. Their mantra? Work 20hrs, sleep 4, crush life. Sounded legit to my overachiever brain. My life became a freakin' checklist: - 5AM wake-up: Check - Cold shower: Check - Meditation: Check - 12hr workday on my "revolutionary" startup: Check - Networking events instead of family time: Check - Endless online courses: Check Rinse and repeat. Every. Single. Day. Guilt was my constant companion. Watching a movie? Slacker. Attending a cousin's wedding? Waste of time. Celebrating Diwali? Think of all the work you could be doing! The kicker? Being a woman in tech. Felt like I had to hustle 10x harder just to be taken seriously. Result after 3 years of this madness? - Forbes 30U30 Asia: Check - Failed startup: Check - Nonexistent social life: Check - Chronic anxiety: Check Guess what: All that hustling led to jack shit. Now, at 29, I'm unlearning this toxic BS. Realizing success isn't about IIT tags, funding rounds, or how little you sleep. It's about actually living. To all the desi kids killing themselves over JEE ranks and CAT scores: STOP. Your life is worth more than a percentile. Success without happiness is worthless. Don't waste your 20s like I did, chasing someone else's definition of success. Anyone else been through this hustle culture hellscape? How'd you break free?

Was having morning chai and realized I should write this somewhere. Not sure if there’s anything to learn here. Just one guy’s story Years 0 to 5: Small town child Was born in Bhubaneshwar, father had a government job. Very average middle class life. Middle class values. Parents always wanted me to study hard so I did. Used to be most excited about playing cricket and football very day Years 5 to 15: The studious class kid We shifted to Jaipur - dad had a transferable job. Took time adjusting to a new school but eventually made some friends. Realised I do not have any music/sports/artistic talent, but I can work hard. So I started working hard on my studies and started being top 10% of my class every year. Maths came easy to me. I am not in touch with any of my friends from this period but they have all gone on to do good things as I see from their LinkedIn profiles Years 15 to 22: IIT years

 Worked super freakin hard - gave the JEE and made it to one of the top 7 IITs in the Mech department, soon realised I do not love Mech and there weren’t any jobs as well. Started learning to code and made a few projects. Did an internship at Microsoft and another at a startup from a college alum. Ended up realising becoming an engineer is not my cup of tea long term. Took a hard turn to working on non engineering skills and jobs. 

Most importantly made so many friends, had so much fun. These are still some of my best friends and we still meet each other and stay at each other’s houses. Picked up a deep obsession with E-Sports (Counter Strike mostly) Years 22 to 24: First job Joined one of the top 10 consulting companies at a good salary. Moved to Mumbai - started wearing suits and living a great life from hotel to hotel. The job was good, but not engaging enough. Decided I should quit. But was scared to do it for 8 months. Started studying for my CAT Years 25 to 28: MBA and marriage CAT went sweet. Joined a top MBA school - the most formative years of my life to be honest. Almost close to my last 2 years at college. Met my wife there to whom I got later married at 28. I still keep in touch with a few people from MBA but not as many as I do from college. Years 28 to 32: Making it onto Tech My campus placement happened as a Product Manager at famous tech company in Bangalore where I have been for the last 4 years now. Got a couple promotions. I love my work and its impact. I still sometimes get to play my Counter Strike. As I look back on all of life, I guess the most important things I have learnt are to just stay happy and do something useful EVERY DAY. Be diligent, work hard and you’ll get where you want to. Do not stress over it. Just stay in the game. Don’t tire out. Anyway. That’s it folks!

Having almost 6yrs experience with single digit salary 😭 every friend and colleague are making a killing every recruiter I speak to just offer x% over last CTC but not the amount I ask stating budget issue. This is taking a toll on my mental health unable to focus on up skilling / working in current org plz help not sure what to do.

3 months Intern at a (Top 4 IIT) summer intern at a product based company(very well known) 9 months intern at very well funded startup. Did not get ppo from summer intern and startup, both ppo above 20 LPA package Had to start at a bank as sde below 9 ctc Feeling demotivated if i should continue in software