15+ years in SFO // IND since 2018
“People think that coming back to India requires them to take a 30-50% salary haircut.”
I moved to the US in 2003 for a PhD but did not like it and got out with an MS instead. Between 2003-18, I had roles across engineering, product, bizdev and investing across companies like AMD, Google and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). I moved back to India in 2018 to join Lightspeed. For me it was always a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’. For me, 70% of the decision was personal, 30% was professional (team, economics, role). People think that coming back to India requires them to take a 30-50% salary haircut but I was pleasantly surprised to see how much Series A startups pay for top-end sales, marketing, product or engineering roles which are highly valued in India. I am very happy in India; for the first time since college, I can see 10 years ahead and know where I will be and what I will be doing. The US always felt somewhat limited to me but now I feel free. Life in India is very simple after Jio. Everything is delivered at doorsteps. While pollution is a problem, I have zero regrets. I never wake up and find myself missing the US. However, I do miss my long drives on highways and national parks in SF.