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Hi everyone,

I’m looking for honest career advice because I feel like I’m at a point where I need to rebuild my professional life properly instead of continuing in confusion.

I have a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in marketing, where I specialized in digital marketing. I graduated around 2011 and started my career in finance-related roles. I worked briefly with a company called Maersk in 2012, then did a short course in investment banking. After that, I got a role at Credit Suisse in 2013, but that ended within a few months due to layoffs.

After that, my career became very unconventional.

I was in a long-term relationship with someone who also became deeply involved in my entrepreneurial journey. Over the years, we worked on multiple product ideas and startup concepts. Some of these included accessibility tech for deaf and mute users using gesture recognition, a wedding services marketplace where people could book priests, banquet halls, decorators, etc., and an idea around affordable designer wear.

Later, I worked on a student jobs marketplace focused on helping students in the UK find part-time work while studying. This was something I worked on for several years, roughly from 2017 to 2023. However, most of these ventures were not formally registered companies, and many of them stayed at the idea, prototype, or early validation stage.

One important detail is that during many of these years, I did not draw a salary or save money. Since I was building these ventures with my long-term partner, and she came from a financially well-off family, many of my basic expenses were taken care of during that period. At the time, money did not feel like an immediate issue, so I focused on building ideas rather than creating stable income, savings, or a conventional career path.

Looking back, I realize this was a major mistake. I did not build financial security, I did not create a clean employment history, and I did not document my work properly. I was doing things, learning, building, speaking to people, and trying to create products but I did not create the kind of professional proof that employers usually expect.

The difficult part is that my personal and professional life were tied together. I was in a 14-year relationship, and when that relationship collapsed, everything around the business also collapsed — the team, support system, funding conversations, and momentum. It felt like everything disappeared almost overnight.

After that, I had to start looking for a job again after nearly a decade of working in founder/operator mode. I struggled a lot. I didn’t know how to explain my background, how to write my resume, what ATS was, what roles to apply for, or how to position myself.

A friend suggested that since I had been building products and speaking to users, vendors, and customers, I should position myself more toward sales, business development, or GTM roles. I started applying in that direction and eventually got some opportunities.

I worked briefly at E42, but around that time my mother was dealing with serious health issues related to arthritis, and I was under a lot of pressure managing hospital situations while also trying to perform at work. That role did not work out.

Later, I moved to Bangalore and worked at another company for around six months. I had positioned myself more aggressively than I probably should have, and while I managed to clear the interviews, I struggled with the role, internal politics, and expectations. That also ended badly.

At one point, I also considered doing another master’s in Germany and joined Frankfurt School, but the cost, uncertainty around jobs, and difficulty adjusting to a new life made things very hard. I eventually came back to India.

Now I’m back home and trying to figure out what to do next.

The honest truth is that I feel confused about my credibility. I’ve worked on many things, but because most startups were not formally launched or registered, I don’t know how much of my experience “counts.” At the same time, I know I genuinely enjoy building products, understanding users, thinking through ideas, and figuring out how something can go to market.

Right now, I’m working on a dating app idea where users create an interactive Q&A-based profile. The idea is that instead of just swiping on photos, a user can generate or select questions with the help of AI based on keywords or phrases. Their Q&A then become part of the profile, and matches happen when another person connects with those answers. I’m using this partly as a product experiment and partly as a way to rebuild my portfolio.

What I’m struggling with:

• How do I explain my last 10+ years without sounding like I did nothing?
• Should I position myself as a sales/business development person, product person, founder’s office candidate, or something else?
• How do I handle the fact that some ventures were not registered or formally launched?
• How do I explain not having savings or a conventional employment history without sounding irresponsible?
• Am I too late to rebuild a credible career?
• What kind of roles should I realistically target now?
• Should I keep building products on the side or focus fully on getting a stable job first?

I’m not looking for sympathy. I genuinely want blunt, practical advice.

My current instinct is that I may be best suited for roles around founder’s office, product growth, GTM, SaaS sales, partnerships, or product marketing — somewhere close to product, customers, and revenue.

But I’m not sure how to position myself anymore.

Has anyone rebuilt their career after a messy founder/startup journey that didn’t produce a clear exit, registered company, strong savings, or conventional resume? How did you explain it? What roles made sense? What should I avoid doing from here?

Any honest advice would really help.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for honest career advice because I feel like I’m at a point where I need to rebuild my professional life properly instead of continuing in confusion.

I have a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in marketing, where I specialized in digital marketing. I graduated around 2011 and started my career in finance-related roles. I worked briefly with a company called Maersk in 2012, then did a short course in investment banking. After that, I got a role at Credit Suisse in 2013, but that ended within a few months due to layoffs.

After that, my career became very unconventional.

I was in a long-term relationship with someone who also became deeply involved in my entrepreneurial journey. Over the years, we worked on multiple product ideas and startup concepts. Some of these included accessibility tech for deaf and mute users using gesture recognition, a wedding services marketplace where people could book priests, banquet halls, decorators, etc., and an idea around affordable designer wear.

Later, I worked on a student jobs marketplace focused on helping students in the UK find part-time work while studying. This was something I worked on for several years, roughly from 2017 to 2023. However, most of these ventures were not formally registered companies, and many of them stayed at the idea, prototype, or early validation stage.

One important detail is that during many of these years, I did not draw a salary or save money. Since I was building these ventures with my long-term partner, and she came from a financially well-off family, many of my basic expenses were taken care of during that period. At the time, money did not feel like an immediate issue, so I focused on building ideas rather than creating stable income, savings, or a conventional career path.

Looking back, I realize this was a major mistake. I did not build financial security, I did not create a clean employment history, and I did not document my work properly. I was doing things, learning, building, speaking to people, and trying to create products but I did not create the kind of professional proof that employers usually expect.

The difficult part is that my personal and professional life were tied together. I was in a 14-year relationship, and when that relationship collapsed, everything around the business also collapsed — the team, support system, funding conversations, and momentum. It felt like everything disappeared almost overnight.

After that, I had to start looking for a job again after nearly a decade of working in founder/operator mode. I struggled a lot. I didn’t know how to explain my background, how to write my resume, what ATS was, what roles to apply for, or how to position myself.

A friend suggested that since I had been building products and speaking to users, vendors, and customers, I should position myself more toward sales, business development, or GTM roles. I started applying in that direction and eventually got some opportunities.

I worked briefly at E42, but around that time my mother was dealing with serious health issues related to arthritis, and I was under a lot of pressure managing hospital situations while also trying to perform at work. That role did not work out.

Later, I moved to Bangalore and worked at another company for around six months. I had positioned myself more aggressively than I probably should have, and while I managed to clear the interviews, I struggled with the role, internal politics, and expectations. That also ended badly.

At one point, I also considered doing another master’s in Germany and joined Frankfurt School, but the cost, uncertainty around jobs, and difficulty adjusting to a new life made things very hard. I eventually came back to India.

Now I’m back home and trying to figure out what to do next.

The honest truth is that I feel confused about my credibility. I’ve worked on many things, but because most startups were not formally launched or registered, I don’t know how much of my experience “counts.” At the same time, I know I genuinely enjoy building products, understanding users, thinking through ideas, and figuring out how something can go to market.

Right now, I’m working on a dating app idea where users create an interactive Q&A-based profile. The idea is that instead of just swiping on photos, a user can generate or select questions with the help of AI based on keywords or phrases. Their Q&A then become part of the profile, and matches happen when another person connects with those answers. I’m using this partly as a product experiment and partly as a way to rebuild my portfolio.

What I’m struggling with:

• How do I explain my last 10+ years without sounding like I did nothing?
• Should I position myself as a sales/business development person, product person, founder’s office candidate, or something else?
• How do I handle the fact that some ventures were not registered or formally launched?
• How do I explain not having savings or a conventional employment history without sounding irresponsible?
• Am I too late to rebuild a credible career?
• What kind of roles should I realistically target now?
• Should I keep building products on the side or focus fully on getting a stable job first?

I’m not looking for sympathy. I genuinely want blunt, practical advice.

My current instinct is that I may be best suited for roles around founder’s office, product growth, GTM, SaaS sales, partnerships, or product marketing — somewhere close to product, customers, and revenue.

But I’m not sure how to position myself anymore.

Has anyone rebuilt their career after a messy founder/startup journey that didn’t produce a clear exit, registered company, strong savings, or conventional resume? How did you explain it? What roles made sense? What should I avoid doing from here?

Any honest advice would really help.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for honest career advice because I feel like I’m at a point where I need to rebuild my professional life properly instead of continuing in confusion.

I have a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in marketing, where I specialized in digital marketing. I graduated around 2011 and started my career in finance-related roles. I worked briefly with a company called Maersk in 2012, then did a short course in investment banking. After that, I got a role at Credit Suisse in 2013, but that ended within a few months due to layoffs.

After that, my career became very unconventional.

I was in a long-term relationship with someone who also became deeply involved in my entrepreneurial journey. Over the years, we worked on multiple product ideas and startup concepts. Some of these included accessibility tech for deaf and mute users using gesture recognition, a wedding services marketplace where people could book priests, banquet halls, decorators, etc., and an idea around affordable designer wear.

Later, I worked on a student jobs marketplace focused on helping students in the UK find part-time work while studying. This was something I worked on for several years, roughly from 2017 to 2023. However, most of these ventures were not formally registered companies, and many of them stayed at the idea, prototype, or early validation stage.

One important detail is that during many of these years, I did not draw a salary or save money. Since I was building these ventures with my long-term partner, and she came from a financially well-off family, many of my basic expenses were taken care of during that period. At the time, money did not feel like an immediate issue, so I focused on building ideas rather than creating stable income, savings, or a conventional career path.

Looking back, I realize this was a major mistake. I did not build financial security, I did not create a clean employment history, and I did not document my work properly. I was doing things, learning, building, speaking to people, and trying to create products but I did not create the kind of professional proof that employers usually expect.

The difficult part is that my personal and professional life were tied together. I was in a 14-year relationship, and when that relationship collapsed, everything around the business also collapsed — the team, support system, funding conversations, and momentum. It felt like everything disappeared almost overnight.

After that, I had to start looking for a job again after nearly a decade of working in founder/operator mode. I struggled a lot. I didn’t know how to explain my background, how to write my resume, what ATS was, what roles to apply for, or how to position myself.

A friend suggested that since I had been building products and speaking to users, vendors, and customers, I should position myself more toward sales, business development, or GTM roles. I started applying in that direction and eventually got some opportunities.

I worked briefly at E42, but around that time my mother was dealing with serious health issues related to arthritis, and I was under a lot of pressure managing hospital situations while also trying to perform at work. That role did not work out.

Later, I moved to Bangalore and worked at another company for around six months. I had positioned myself more aggressively than I probably should have, and while I managed to clear the interviews, I struggled with the role, internal politics, and expectations. That also ended badly.

At one point, I also considered doing another master’s in Germany and joined Frankfurt School, but the cost, uncertainty around jobs, and difficulty adjusting to a new life made things very hard. I eventually came back to India.

Now I’m back home and trying to figure out what to do next.

The honest truth is that I feel confused about my credibility. I’ve worked on many things, but because most startups were not formally launched or registered, I don’t know how much of my experience “counts.” At the same time, I know I genuinely enjoy building products, understanding users, thinking through ideas, and figuring out how something can go to market.

Right now, I’m working on a dating app idea where users create an interactive Q&A-based profile. The idea is that instead of just swiping on photos, a user can generate or select questions with the help of AI based on keywords or phrases. Their Q&A then become part of the profile, and matches happen when another person connects with those answers. I’m using this partly as a product experiment and partly as a way to rebuild my portfolio.

What I’m struggling with:

• How do I explain my last 10+ years without sounding like I did nothing?
• Should I position myself as a sales/business development person, product person, founder’s office candidate, or something else?
• How do I handle the fact that some ventures were not registered or formally launched?
• How do I explain not having savings or a conventional employment history without sounding irresponsible?
• Am I too late to rebuild a credible career?
• What kind of roles should I realistically target now?
• Should I keep building products on the side or focus fully on getting a stable job first?

I’m not looking for sympathy. I genuinely want blunt, practical advice.

My current instinct is that I may be best suited for roles around founder’s office, product growth, GTM, SaaS sales, partnerships, or product marketing — somewhere close to product, customers, and revenue.

But I’m not sure how to position myself anymore.

Has anyone rebuilt their career after a messy founder/startup journey that didn’t produce a clear exit, registered company, strong savings, or conventional resume? How did you explain it? What roles made sense? What should I avoid doing from here?

Any honest advice would really help