My Story, from a waiter to a Founder!

👋 Hi, I'm Manish. I was like everyone, waking up every day doing the same thing, living in the "Matrix", but I have decided to change and here's my story.

The Beginning

My father was a constable in the Army, so I spent most of my childhood living with him, my sister, and my mother in various Army camps across India. Like many others, I dreamed of attending college, getting a job, getting married, and living happily ever after. However, everything changed when I was 18 and in the 12th grade. I had always been a bright student, but I failed my final year of school due to certain circumstances. My father was unsupportive, calling me a failure and telling me I would never achieve anything significant.

Initial Struggles

My school decided not to re-admit me for the next year. My mother and I took desperate measures, travelling hundreds of kilometres to seek help from various educational authorities. I was in Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kimin, a small town on the border of Assam and Arunachal, with no other school within a 50 km radius. We even requested assistance from the CO of the Army battalion and travelled hundreds of kilometres to Dibrugarh to appeal to the regional office, but they all denied our requests. Eventually, I enrolled in open schooling and received permission to attend classes at my old school. I passed my 12th grade, and my father was transferred to Delhi.

I started looking for a college but couldn’t find a government one, so I decided to attend Galgotias University, yes, the same one you all know now. It was 94 km from where I lived, requiring a gruelling commute involving 3 buses, 2 metro lines, and 2 auto rides. I left home at 6 in the morning and returned around 10 PM, completely exhausted. My father’s constant complaints about me being a failure and wasting his money added to the stress. After six months, I realised that college wasn’t for me. Failing had taught me that there are other ways to live life, and I wasn’t scared to explore them. Unable to bear my father’s nagging and seeing little value in college, I decided to drop out, which, in hindsight, was the best decision I ever made.

Starting a Career

For months, I struggled to find a job. My parents’ negativity had left me underconfident, anxious, and scared. I went to interviews but often shivered, stammered and failed to answer simple questions. Eventually, I found a job as a waiter, which marked the beginning of my career. Working as a waiter for a few months gave me the confidence to talk to people and feel more open. With newfound confidence, I prepared a resume and applied to the same BPO that had previously rejected me, and this time, I got selected.

Turning Point

In 2016, my life changed for the better. I had always loved mobiles and even flipped phones on OLX for pocket money during my college days. I saw a job post on AngelList for a "Product Manager." Although I didn’t know what a product manager was, I applied because it sounded interesting. I missed their reply for six months due to joining another company that eventually shut down. While going through old emails, I found the missed reply from Sahil, whom I now consider my mentor. I reached out to him, expressing my continued interest. He sent me a couple of questions, not about work but about integrity. After answering them, we met, and I shared my story. He found me intriguing and intelligent, so he decided to hire me.

The company was Phonecurry.com, a phone recommendation platform. I worked there for five years, eventually becoming a co-founder. During my time there, I learned a lot about design, product management, branding, and, more importantly, how to see the world differently. Surrounded by smart people, our lunch conversations often revolved around world politics, policies, and making the world a better place, this is the reason we eventually had to shut down the company, we never cared about the money, we all wanted to do good work and when COVID came, we didn't have enough money to sustain. I became more empathetic, self-aware, and started thinking more critically while working at Phonecurry. I have also learnt from my mistakes after it was shut down and will do better this time.

After five years of earning a constant salary of ₹30,000 per month, I had no money and was in debt. I started a small store in my hometown selling used phones, but it didn’t go well. I then found a well-paying job in Bangalore, which helped me become debt-free. I spent a year there before moving on to my last job.

In my last job, I worked for a 22-year-old guy who had a rich dad, that was his entire resume, with a grand vision, but the reality was far from ideal. He ran the company like a dictator, treating people with disrespect. Despite my attempts to help him improve, he often got angry and insulted me. Unable to tolerate the toxic environment any longer, I resigned without any backup or job security.

The Present and Future

Now, I have no income, but I need to survive. Seeing everything around me has made me hyper-aware. I read about what’s happening in the world and how the rich & powerful are destroying the world. It’s not about a country, religion, or colour; people are being systematically oppressed. We are made to live routine lives, not to ask questions, and we are being programmed through social media. Growing up, I always hoped the world would be a better place, but it has only gotten worse. The way we have structured our world is broken, with a small number of people controlling it based on their ego, uneducated, and ill-informed people playing with our lives.

I can’t see this anymore, so I have decided to change things.

BECAUSE THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ARE THE ONES WHO DO!

The Plan

I’m not selling you products; it’s up to you. If you like and can afford them, buy them happily; your support will help me survive. This is nothing but a passion project, which will help me focus on things that I care about, making the world a better place, at least in my capacity. I want to use it as a platform to be in a position where I can help and change policies that will help people and create a better world.

I want to bring significant changes to our education system to make it more inclusive and supportive of all students, regardless of their circumstances. Additionally, I aim to advocate for better work-life balance for people, ensuring they are not treated merely as resources but as individuals with unique needs and potential. If I have to, I will get into politics to speak for the people. I’m exhausted from no one taking initiative. If you want to get involved directly, connect with me. If you want to help, buy something, and you will have a friend in me.

You can reach out to me on Instagram or LinkedIn.