IIT Kanpur Graduate Shares his Story of Building a Startup
In a bid to bring envisioned dream into fruition, Harsh Pokharana, an IIT Kanpur graduate, left his high-paying job to build a startup.
In a bid to bring envisioned dream into fruition, Harsh Pokharana, an IIT Kanpur graduate, left his high-paying job to build a startup. The co-founder of OkCredit, a Bengaluru-based digital lender app shed light on his decade-long entrepreneurial journey while giving insights on various struggles that come with launching a business.
Inspired by a flurry of startup founders infusing their money in new-age businesses, Pokhran left his job at Flipkart with an aim of ‘making a lot of money quickly’. During the formative years, the plan didn’t pan out the way he had envisioned. Despite experimenting with different business ideas, none of the strategies worked, leaving him financially strained. In order to sustain himself, Pokhrana relied on freelancing projects while also continuing to work on potential ventures.
After two years of struggle, Pokharana co-founded OkCredit. The startup gained popularity over time, and in the meantime, his journey underscored a crucial lesson—success in the startup ecosystem is anything but instant. He highlighted that building a venture is a long-term endeavour, not a shortcut to wealth.
How did the internet react?
His experiences resonated deeply with netizens. While few acknowledged his perseverance as a source of inspiration, others shared their struggles in seeking mentorship and funding. A user said that IITian Harsh Pokharna's journey and determination have been truly inspiring, reminding others to keep pushing forward. A netizen also asked the IITian what he did while freelancing, to which Pokharana replied, coding.
