'Robotic life made me quit': Indian man quits JPMorgan, takes 70% pay cut, now leads $6M startup

A Gurgaon-based man walked away from a high-paying job at JPMorgan after feeling his work had become “robotic.” He took a 70 per cent pay cut to pursue a career that gave him meaning over money.

Meet Semlani, a 33-year-old cofounder of the fintech platform Tartan, joined JPMorgan in 2015 as an intern in the US and later returned to India as an associate in the asset-management team. He says he was focused on climbing the corporate ladder and followed the idea of “30 VP,” which meant becoming a vice president by the age of 30. 

Over time, the routine wore him down. "At 26, every day felt the same. I’d be in the office by 9 a.m., go to the same meetings, do the same actions, and leave at 7 p.m. During that time, I lost friends and relationships," he told Business Insider.

Seeking clarity, Semlani signed up for a 10-day silent meditation retreat. Without phones or talking, he says he began questioning his life. “Do I really want to live like this? Is this how I want to be known?” he asked himself. 

After returning, he knew it was time to quit. He informed his manager and formally resigned in February 2018. 

Leaving JPMorgan was difficult, he said, because the job had become part of his identity. "If I went to an event and said I worked at JPMorgan, it meant something," he said. He also admitted he had grown accustomed to the lifestyle his salary allowed.

Semlani then joined a startup that helped international students with scholarships, loans, and grants. He said he chose it because of his own experience as an international student. 

The move involved a 70 percent pay cut and a major lifestyle change, including cutting back on eating out and travelling. At times, he said, he even considered returning to JPMorgan.

But the startup environment gave him something the corporate world never did. Meeting the CEO for coffee, sharing ideas, and seeing decisions happen in real time made him feel "meaningfully busy, not just calendar busy," he said.

In late 2019, the startup ran into fundraising problems and he was asked to leave. The setback was difficult, but he said he realized he could not fit into a structured corporate setup again. When the pandemic hit, he used the time to explore new ideas and decided to cofound Tartan.

Tartan has since raised over $6 million from global investors and grown into a leading data-infrastructure platform.

Semlani credits his time at JPMorgan for shaping his discipline and structure, but he says his definition of success has changed. “I'd probably be a managing director with a corner office, but that's not what success looks like to me anymore,” he said.

“Success isn't about title, big paychecks, or nice things. It's not even about chasing a goal 10 years down the line. It's about what keeps me going every day," he said.