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THE JOURNEY OF A FOUNDER — Not just another road trip, but a survival test. Everyone wants to be an “entrepreneur” these days — it’s the Gen Z fantasy. But most people only romanticize the idea of showing up on Shark Tank. The ones who actually dive into the waters quickly realize: the real sharks aren’t on TV — they’re the challenges that come at you relentlessly. And these sharks? They don’t care if you’re sick, tired, broke, heartbroken, or mentally drained. They’ll chew you up and make sure there’s not even a trace of you left to spit out. Becoming a founder feels like a privilege, and it is. But it doesn’t always feel like one. It’s not about aesthetic desk setups or late-night hustle reels. It’s about wearing a hundred hats while wondering if any of them actually fit — and the worst part? You don’t get paid to wear them. You think your hard work earns you a reward? Nope. Waiting for that month-end credit message? Forget it. Want to buy something nice instead of upgrading your setup? Not happening. This is exactly where most aspiring founders tap out — not because they’re not capable, but because they expected applause and got silence. Let me be clear: being a founder means learning everything. In a traditional company, you’ve got a software engineer, a project manager, a designer, a legal advisor, a CFO, a marketer, and a CEO. But in a startup? You’re all of them. Sometimes all in the same day. I’ll give you a page from my journey — not a flex, just facts. When I started working on SkillMate, I had no co-founder, no funding, no team. I couldn’t afford a ₹40,000 freelancer just to build my website, so I learned web development. The design looked great — but it didn’t work. So I learned coding. Needed traction? I learned content writing. Managing it all? Project management. This wasn’t a passion project — it was an everything project. And SkillMate isn’t the only plate I’m spinning. Every other professional pursuit of mine requires an entirely different skillset — but when I see that list of roles I now play, I don’t feel tired. I feel goosebumps. This journey isn’t a cozy road trip through valleys and sunsets. It’s a world tour — messy, uncertain, unfiltered — and that’s exactly what makes it worth it.