Indian-origin techie shuns Rs 6.6 crore Meta job to initiate startup venture
New Delhi, October 30: Rahul Pandey, an Indian-origin technologist, embarked on a remarkable career transformation, resigning from his Rs 6.6 crore annual job at Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc) to launch his own startup, Taro. Pandey disclosed that anxiety was a key factor in his decision to leave a job he had held for nearly five years.
He shared his experience on LinkedIn, recounting how he initially struggled with imposter syndrome and cultural adaptation during his early months at Facebook. Afraid of revealing his difficulties, he refrained from seeking help from his colleagues. In addition to his personal challenges, Facebook faced internal strife within a year of his joining, leading to a decline in the company's stock value and prompting many of his peers to leave.
Despite these challenges, Pandey chose to stay at the company. During his second year, he developed an internal tool that significantly improved efficiency for the engineers and was adopted throughout the organisation. As a result, he was promoted and received equity valued at Rs two crore in addition to his annual salary of around Rs two crore.
However, as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded, Pandey began to consider opportunities outside of Meta, marking the end of his almost decade-long career in technology. In his final year at the company, he transitioned into a managerial role and switched teams after three years in the same organisation. In 2021, he took the bold step of leaving Meta, his employer since August 2017, to establish his startup, Taro, with a focus on assisting software engineers in advancing their careers.
Pandey's total compensation in 2021 exceeded $800,000 (approximately Rs 6.6 crore), primarily due to his strong performance and the rising stock price of Meta. He recognised the role of luck in his success and acknowledged that he had reached the top 1 per cent of income earners in the country.
Rahul Pandey's journey from a high-paying job at Meta to the world of entrepreneurship exemplifies the pursuit of personal growth, financial freedom, and a desire to explore new horizons beyond engineering and corporate environments.
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- With inputs from agencies