A post on X about a startup employee who lost his job despite earning a ₹24 LPA package has struck a chord online.
Taking to X, a user identified as Vivo shared a story about a former college mate whose promising role at a fast growing startup came to an abrupt end.
A high paying job that felt secure
In his post, Vivo wrote: “A guy from my college joined a startup. ₹24 LPA package. Young team. Fast growth. He handled the boring work, fixing issues, tracking refunds, solving small problems that kept things running. Late nights. Long hours. He believed a growing company meant a safe job.”
The role appeared stable on the surface. A generous salary, rapid company growth and a dynamic team created the impression of long term security. However, the illusion did not last.
“One morning, a small meeting. Funding slowed and the company cut costs. The product stayed, but his role didn’t. No warning. No bad feedback. Just numbers,” the post continued.
Reflecting on the experience, the former employee reportedly said, “I thought growth meant stability.”
Lessons learned the hard way
According to the post, the setback led to a shift in mindset. The employee now keeps savings for at least six months, focuses on skills rather than the company name, practises interviews even while employed and stays connected with people in his network.
The post concluded with a stark reminder: “Work well. Just remember that jobs are temporary but skills aren’t.”
Take a look here at the post:
The story has garnered more than 36,000 views and sparked conversations around financial planning and employability in the startup ecosystem.
One user commented, “Hurts when someone is suddenly laid off.” Another wrote, “Learn new skills AI is gonna stay.” A third added, “Use a job to build an asset.” Echoing similar sentiments, someone said, “So, Emergency fund is your real job security.” Another remarked, “Make muti source of income.” Summing up the broader mood, a user observed, “Growth in a company can disappear overnight, but savings, skills, and network are the only real job security you control.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
