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Not every career begins with a polished plan, a steady paycheck or a ready-made network. Some start with uncertainty, self-doubt and a long list of rejections. Yet, those are often the stories that carry the most powerful lessons. One Delhi-based chartered accountant’s journey from having no clients and no safety net to building his own firm is now striking a chord online, offering a raw look at what it really takes to create something from nothing.
Nitin Kaushik recently took to X to share his journey, challenging the popular belief that expensive degrees are the only route to business success. He pointed out that while MBA programmes can cost anywhere between Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh and are valuable for structured learning, real-world business education often happens outside classrooms, especially for those building something of their own.
According to Kaushik, traditional upskilling works well for those in jobs. Degrees, certifications and formal training provide a clear path. But entrepreneurship, he suggested, follows a very different script. It is shaped by uncertainty, discomfort and situations where outcomes are never guaranteed.
As a chartered accountant, he had already been exposed to a wide range of businesses, financial statements and real-world challenges even before completing his training. Over time, concepts that once existed as textbook formulas began to turn into instinct through repeated exposure. But the real test began when he decided to start his own firm.
No clients, 100 cold calls
There were no clients waiting, no referrals to rely on and no financial cushion to fall back on. What he did have was a phone and the willingness to make more than 100 cold calls every single day. The early days were marked by constant rejection. Calls went unanswered. Conversations ended abruptly. Doors were closed. Yet, he continued showing up each morning and dialling again.
That phase, he said, taught him sales in a way no course ever could. It was not theoretical knowledge but survival-driven learning. Over time, persistence replaced hesitation, and outreach turned into an opportunity. Kaushik also pushed back against the idea that networking is something that primarily comes from business schools. In his experience, it is built gradually through consistency, trust and genuine relationships. Instead of actively searching for a network, he focused on creating one through repeated interactions and reliability.
As his journey progressed, his thinking began to evolve. He realised he did not want to build something that depended entirely on his personal effort. The goal shifted from running a profession to creating a business. He described this as the difference between something that relies on an individual and something that can function beyond them. His focus moved towards building a finance company supported by systems, people and structure, something that could grow, scale and operate independently.
Looking back, Kaushik emphasised that no one handed him a clear roadmap. His learning came from real experiences. He understood taxation through working with clients, learned sales through rejection and grasped finance through failure. Even now, he says the learning has not stopped.
His larger message is simple but striking: the most valuable lessons often come from real-life situations, especially when one is willing to step outside comfort zones and pay attention to what those experiences are trying to teach.
Nitin Kaushik recently took to X to share his journey, challenging the popular belief that expensive degrees are the only route to business success. He pointed out that while MBA programmes can cost anywhere between Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh and are valuable for structured learning, real-world business education often happens outside classrooms, especially for those building something of their own.
According to Kaushik, traditional upskilling works well for those in jobs. Degrees, certifications and formal training provide a clear path. But entrepreneurship, he suggested, follows a very different script. It is shaped by uncertainty, discomfort and situations where outcomes are never guaranteed.
As a chartered accountant, he had already been exposed to a wide range of businesses, financial statements and real-world challenges even before completing his training. Over time, concepts that once existed as textbook formulas began to turn into instinct through repeated exposure. But the real test began when he decided to start his own firm.
No clients, 100 cold calls
There were no clients waiting, no referrals to rely on and no financial cushion to fall back on. What he did have was a phone and the willingness to make more than 100 cold calls every single day. The early days were marked by constant rejection. Calls went unanswered. Conversations ended abruptly. Doors were closed. Yet, he continued showing up each morning and dialling again.That phase, he said, taught him sales in a way no course ever could. It was not theoretical knowledge but survival-driven learning. Over time, persistence replaced hesitation, and outreach turned into an opportunity. Kaushik also pushed back against the idea that networking is something that primarily comes from business schools. In his experience, it is built gradually through consistency, trust and genuine relationships. Instead of actively searching for a network, he focused on creating one through repeated interactions and reliability.
As his journey progressed, his thinking began to evolve. He realised he did not want to build something that depended entirely on his personal effort. The goal shifted from running a profession to creating a business. He described this as the difference between something that relies on an individual and something that can function beyond them. His focus moved towards building a finance company supported by systems, people and structure, something that could grow, scale and operate independently.
Looking back, Kaushik emphasised that no one handed him a clear roadmap. His learning came from real experiences. He understood taxation through working with clients, learned sales through rejection and grasped finance through failure. Even now, he says the learning has not stopped.
His larger message is simple but striking: the most valuable lessons often come from real-life situations, especially when one is willing to step outside comfort zones and pay attention to what those experiences are trying to teach.
