Indian-origin Google engineer quit her dream job at 23 to chase a bigger goal
Aashna Doshi has left Google to focus on her podcast and AI startup, Bounty. She said the greater risk was staying in a secure job and always wondering what could have been.
For many young engineers, landing a job at Google is the dream. For 23-year-old Aashna Doshi, it was a milestone she worked hard to achieve. But just over a year later, she made a decision that many would consider unthinkable; she quit the tech giant to build her own AI startup.
In an essay for Business Insider, the Indian-origin software engineer reflected on the leap, explaining that the fear of spending years wondering “what if?” ultimately outweighed the security of a prestigious corporate job.
Doshi's journey to Google was marked by a few bold decisions. While studying at Georgia Tech, she received a full-time offer from the company before graduation. The catch? The role was based in California, while she had set her heart on New York City.
Rather than accept the offer immediately, she took a gamble and declined it. At a time when fresh graduates were navigating a difficult tech job market, walking away from Google was far from the safe option. Eventually, her risk paid off when she secured another Google position that allowed her to work from New York.
See the video here;
But even after getting the job she wanted, Doshi found herself increasingly drawn towards building things outside her day job.
Alongside her work as a software engineer, she had co-founded a podcast. What started as a side project gradually opened up a different world, one that involved creating content, having conversations, building a community and exploring ideas beyond engineering.
As artificial intelligence began reshaping industries, Doshi saw an opportunity. She wanted to create something she could fully own and shape herself rather than contribute to a small piece of a much larger machine.
In May, she decided to leave Google and focus full-time on Bounty, an AI-powered startup she is building with her podcast co-founder. The platform helps businesses complete tasks such as recruitment, outreach and lead generation through a results-based model.
The decision has come with financial uncertainty. The startup is still in its early stages and has yet to generate revenue. Yet Doshi says she has no regrets.
Looking back, she believes the bigger risk would have been staying where she was, comfortable but curious, and spending years wondering what might have happened had she taken the chance.
For many young engineers, landing a job at Google is the dream. For 23-year-old Aashna Doshi, it was a milestone she worked hard to achieve. But just over a year later, she made a decision that many would consider unthinkable; she quit the tech giant to build her own AI startup.
In an essay for Business Insider, the Indian-origin software engineer reflected on the leap, explaining that the fear of spending years wondering “what if?” ultimately outweighed the security of a prestigious corporate job.
Doshi's journey to Google was marked by a few bold decisions. While studying at Georgia Tech, she received a full-time offer from the company before graduation. The catch? The role was based in California, while she had set her heart on New York City.
Rather than accept the offer immediately, she took a gamble and declined it. At a time when fresh graduates were navigating a difficult tech job market, walking away from Google was far from the safe option. Eventually, her risk paid off when she secured another Google position that allowed her to work from New York.
See the video here;
But even after getting the job she wanted, Doshi found herself increasingly drawn towards building things outside her day job.
Alongside her work as a software engineer, she had co-founded a podcast. What started as a side project gradually opened up a different world, one that involved creating content, having conversations, building a community and exploring ideas beyond engineering.
As artificial intelligence began reshaping industries, Doshi saw an opportunity. She wanted to create something she could fully own and shape herself rather than contribute to a small piece of a much larger machine.
In May, she decided to leave Google and focus full-time on Bounty, an AI-powered startup she is building with her podcast co-founder. The platform helps businesses complete tasks such as recruitment, outreach and lead generation through a results-based model.
The decision has come with financial uncertainty. The startup is still in its early stages and has yet to generate revenue. Yet Doshi says she has no regrets.
Looking back, she believes the bigger risk would have been staying where she was, comfortable but curious, and spending years wondering what might have happened had she taken the chance.
