In a job market where elite degrees are often seen as the ultimate ticket to success, a 20-year-old college dropout has grabbed social media attention after claiming to have landed a remote role at a San Francisco-based startup with a package of ₹70 lakh per annum.
The claim surfaced through a Reddit post that quickly went viral online, with the young techie detailing their unconventional career journey.
“How I landed a 70 LPA job as a 20-year-old college dropout,” the Reddit user wrote, before sharing a detailed account of how they built their career without a formal degree.
“I did freelancing when I was like 16 because I genuinely had no clue what else to do. Did random projects at first, got underpaid a lot, worked with terrible clients too, but over time got better at growth + marketing stuff.”
The individual further revealed that they gradually gained experience by working on multiple projects and collaborating with large companies.
“Eventually worked on 12+ projects and even got to contribute with the growth team of one of the largest companies as a freelancer. Never had a crazy degree or anything, just kept learning by doing things on the internet everyday. Around that time I also started posting on X consistently.”
According to the post, things changed after the techie came across a startup hiring for a role offering nearly ₹70 LPA.
“The company had recently raised almost $50M in San Francisco and honestly I thought there was no way they’d even consider me. I still applied. Got rejected.”
However, the rejection did not stop the individual from continuing the application process. The persistence eventually led to direct communication with the startup’s founder.
“They scheduled an interview. We spoke mostly about execution, growth ideas, psychology behind marketing, things I’d already done before etc, and a few days later I got the offer.”
Reflecting on the journey, the techie added, “Still feels weird sometimes because a few years back I was just some kid sitting at home learning stuff from random internet rabbit holes at 2 am. So grateful for everything universe: I love you.”
What does the techie do?
Several Reddit users questioned the individual about their exact role and area of expertise.
One user asked, “No mention of what you actually do.”
Responding to the query, the original poster wrote, “I build AI distribution funnels,” adding, “Basically think clipping but with AI models. Currently, there’s a high demand in the B2B space for this… every startup wants to be everywhere. Example: You see 100s of posts before or after a movie is launched, right? It's all paid. Similarly, I do it for B2B tech startups. I have access to 100+ theme pages on both LinkedIn and Instagram.”
The techie further explained, “I build infra + distribution. It's one of the most unique roles. The demand is high, but the offering is less.”
Social media reactions
The viral post triggered widespread reactions online, with many users praising the individual’s persistence and unconventional path to success.
One user commented, “If you actually didn't believe they would consider you, why would you put so much effort into getting the job? Obviously, something made you believe in yourself. Congratulations.”
Another wrote, “Really inspiring journey, man. This proves that skills + consistency + putting yourself out there can genuinely change your life. Most people wait for the 'perfect degree' or opportunity, but you created your own path. Respect for staying consistent through underpaid work and difficult clients — that phase teaches the most. Wishing you even bigger success ahead.”
A third user asked, “Is this a startup based in India operating for companies in the US?”
To this, the Redditor replied, “It's a US-based, entirely $80K/per year job. WFH.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content shared on social media. The claims made in the post have not been independently verified.)
