A viral social media post by entrepreneur Aman Goel has ignited widespread discussion online after he revealed why he left a high-paying career in Silicon Valley to return to India and build startups.
Goel, the co-founder of GreyLabs AI, took to X to reflect on his decision to walk away from a lucrative career nearly a decade ago to return to his roots.
In 2016, at just 20 years old, the IIT Bombay student landed what many would consider a "dream" software engineering internship at Rubrik in Palo Alto. Earning a monthly stipend of $8,000, Goel said he was in a high-calibre engineering culture, gaining deep technical insights into databases and scalable backend systems during the company's early years.
ALSO READ: Did Hardik Pandya Unfollow Mumbai Indians On Instagram? Here's The Fact Behind The Rumour
However, despite the prestige and substantial financial rewards in the Bay Area, Goel revealed that the experience provided him with something far more significant—professional clarity.
“I realised I did not want to build my life in the Bay Area. I wanted to go back to India and build something of my own,” Goel wrote in his post.
Ten years ago, I landed in San Francisco as a 20-year-old kid from IIT Bombay, headed to Palo Alto to intern at @rubrikInc's Software Engineering Team.
— Aman Goel (@amangoeliitb) May 9, 2026
I was earning $8,000 a month. It felt like a dream.
My mentor was an @CSE_IITBombay senior, who made me fall in love with… pic.twitter.com/EjphbHWNs9
Upon returning to India in July 2016, Goel transformed his final year at IIT Bombay into an intensive study of entrepreneurship, focusing on sales, marketing, and product strategy. This "obsession" paved the way for his first major success, Cogno AI, which he scaled to over $1 million in revenue before a successful acquisition.
His latest venture, GreyLabs AI, further validates that decision. The company has reportedly raised nearly Rs 100 crore from prominent investors like z47 and Elevation Capital, currently employing over 85 people and serving 75+ clients in the BFSI sector.
Invoking Bill Gates' famous saying about underestimating what can be achieved in a decade, Goel advised young professionals to prioritise long-term passion over immediate gains.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
