He felt like a loser even after cracking IIT Kharagpur. 2 years later, he bagged the highest campus package and still quit the job

At one point, just opening LinkedIn made Tharun Naik feel like he was falling behind in life. A second-year student at IIT Kharagpur, Tharun was constantly bombarded by updates from his peers—one bagging a prestigious internship, another publishing research, someone else winning a medal. And him? “Nothing to show,” he admits. No internships. No research. No shiny wins to post about. The comparison trap had kicked in hard. “It truly used to haunt me,” he wrote in a recent viral LinkedIn post.

But two years after graduating, with two job resignations behind him, Tharun now has his own office in Bengaluru and works with top brands—all before the age of 25. What changed?

LinkedIn became a source of stress
Tharun’s story is not uncommon. Many young professionals feel like they're falling behind because of the never-ending scroll of achievements on social media. In Tharun’s case, he found himself demotivated, constantly comparing his behind-the-scenes to everyone else’s highlight reel. He recalls, “Every time I saw someone doing something amazing, I felt like a loser.”

Tharun broke the cycle
But what helped him break the cycle was a mindset shift: accepting that not everyone’s timeline is the same, and that growth doesn’t always show up in public posts. In a span of just six months after his second year, Tharun landed an internship at IIM Bangalore. He then went on to:

- Win an Inter-IIT Gold medal in Culturals
- Bag two more internships in his third year
- Serve as Hall President in his final year
- Secure one of the highest packages in his department

All this came not from overnight magic, but from sustained, focused hard work. “Six months of hard work can put you five years ahead,” he wrote—something he learned firsthand.

Life post IIT and two resignations
Fast-forward two years after graduation. Tharun has tried, tested, and walked away from two jobs—decisions that might terrify most. But they were calculated moves, part of a broader goal to build something of his own.

Today, he operates out of his own office in Bengaluru, working with high-profile brands and crafting a career on his own terms. And he’s not just an entrepreneur—he’s also a TEDx speaker, sharing his journey to inspire others who feel “stuck” just like he once did.