IIT Kanpur alumnus who left Flipkart job for start-up admits to 'struggles'

Bengaluru-based CEO Harsh Pokharna took to social media to share his journey from quitting his job at Flipkart to starting his own company. In his post, he says, "long way to go"

CEO Harsh Pokharna, who is based in Bengaluru, shared his company's establishment journey on social media, stating that there is still a "long way to go." He was recalling the days when he left his high-paying job at Flipkart to launch his own business in his post. He talked about his early startup failures before launching his current business.

 

He experimented with three different company ideas over the next two years, but none of them succeeded. His savings were running low, so he had to start working as a freelancer to remain afloat while pursuing his business goals.  

Who is Harsh Pokharna? 

Harsh Pokharna spent eight months at Flipkart as a graduate trainer, according to his LinkedIn bio. In 2017, he co-founded OkCredit, where he serves as CEO. From the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, he graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Mechanical Engineering. 

Meet Harsh Pokharna: The post 

As he recalled his journey, Harsh said he left Flipkart to start a startup because he wanted to make a lot of money quickly but is still having trouble. Pokharna later co-founded 'OkCredit' in 2017 and has been working on it for the past eight years. His experiences taught him that success in startups does not come overnight.

 

Pokharna said, “It’s a long-term game, not a get-rich-quick scheme. Play it only if you truly want to solve a problem, or you’ll end up disappointed. Founders were raising millions of dollars in funding all around me. It seemed easy. But, the reality? Failed for the first 2 years trying 3 different ideas. Burned through all my savings, had to freelance to survive. Been building OkCredit for 8 years now, still a long way to go".

 

"Startups ≠ instant success. It’s a long-term game, not a get-rich-quick scheme. Play it only if you truly want to solve a problem, or you’ll end up disappointed. #HarshRealities," Harsh added.

About Harsh Pokharna Startup: OkCredit

Harsh Pokharna co-founded OkCredit, a digital bookkeeping platform created especially for Indian MSMEs, in 2017. By digitizing credit transactions, the software makes account management easier and increases financial transparency for small business owners.

 

With millions of active users, OkCredit has become widely used with an emphasis on improving cash flow and business efficiency. With the support of well-known investors like Y Combinator and Tiger Global, the platform has transformed the way MSMEs handle their money, promoting financial inclusion and digital transformation throughout India.

Netizens react to the Harsh Pokharna post 

One user wrote, “Our situation is kinda similar, but the idea we are working on is unique and I believe a small help from people like you can help us faster to overcome, but the problem is whenever we go for help or mentorship, nothing is free of cost & there we back off. Hope you try to understand.” 

 

Another commented, “Our story and perseverance always pushed me to never give up. I want to share my ideas and want your review.”

 

A third wrote, “Thank you for sharing these real insights and learnings.” A fourth reacted, “Failure is part of the game. Resilience matters. Your journey and experiences shared are remarkable. Thanks for sharing.”