Leaving a well-paying tech career to become an entrepreneur is a bold decision. For Khyati Thakur, that decision led to an unexpected challenge when artificial intelligence rapidly changed the market for her startup’s first product.
From a High-Paying Career to Entrepreneurship
Thakur, who has a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Southern California, was working in the technology industry with an annual package of around ₹75 lakh.
Despite having a stable and lucrative career, she decided to step away from her job and build a business of her own.
Her First Product Faced an Unexpected Problem
Thakur’s startup journey took an unexpected turn when the rapid growth of AI tools changed the demand for her company’s initial product.
According to her LinkedIn post, tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s AI offerings made the product less relevant almost immediately.
The result was dramatic: the startup lost all of its customers within just 30 days.
Seven Months to Find a New Direction
Instead of giving up, Thakur and her team began looking for a new direction for the business.
She said it took them seven months to identify a potential pivot and another nine months to develop something they believed could create meaningful value.
The Reality of Building an AI-Era Startup
The journey has also brought financial pressure. Thakur said the startup’s runway is now tighter than she would like, while B2B sales can take three to four months to close.
The company is now looking for investors who understand its vision and are willing to support its next stage of growth.
A Lesson in How Quickly Technology Can Change
Thakur’s experience highlights one of the biggest challenges facing startups today: technology can transform an entire market remarkably quickly.
A product that has customers today may face completely different competition tomorrow, particularly as AI tools continue to evolve.
For entrepreneurs, the story is a reminder that building a startup is not just about having a promising idea it also requires the ability to adapt when the market suddenly changes.
