From $400 job to $60,000 revenue after failing IIT twice: DreamLaunch CEO’s honest journey goes viral

For many, success begins with a dream college or a high-paying job. But for Harshil Tomar, life took the opposite route, from repeated failures and low pay to becoming the CEO of DreamLaunch.

In a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), Tomar shared his story of persistence and reinvention. “At 17, all I cared about was IIT. Failed at it miserably,” he wrote, revealing that his first attempt yielded a rank of 1.3 lakh, and his second, 75,000 — still far from the goal. He eventually joined a Tier-2 college.

By 20, Tomar’s ambition shifted to securing a stable remote job. Instead, he landed a $400-a-month role (around ₹33,000) as a software developer. “I hated every second of being there,” he confessed. “I’d sit near the bus window and think, is this my life? Wake up at 7, get home at 8, and question everything for a few pennies.”

But instead of giving up, he doubled down. During his internship, while others chatted, he spent hours watching React and Next.js tutorials. “I only cared about working out, studying, and applying,” he wrote. He sent out over 100 job applications every day — with zero luck for six months. Then, the tide turned. Interview calls started pouring in, and by 2024, he secured his first remote job.

Tomar later converted his internship at Hifive into a full-time role — only to be fired. Yet, even that setback fueled his drive. Today, he runs DreamLaunch, collaborates with large enterprises, and earns more from sponsorships than his initial salary. “This is your sign to keep hustling. I had no connections, nothing handed to me,” he wrote, adding that his journey now stands at $60,000 in net revenue.

The post resonated widely on social media, with users praising his honesty and grit. Many said his experience mirrored their own struggles with job rejections and exam failures. “This is just what I needed this morning. it's been 1 month since I started X with 0 followers and in this short period I have been grinding and believing that one day I will be at a place where I can look back and tell your same story. Thanks so much for this motivation and a very big congratulations to you,” one user commented, while another called it “a reminder that persistence always pays off.”