In a system where elite institutes like IITs and IIMs are often seen as the default route to high-paying jobs, a Reddit post by a 20-year-old college dropout is getting attention for going completely against that idea. The user claims he secured a Rs 70 LPA job without a traditional degree, relying instead on freelancing, self-learning, and consistent online visibility.
Sharing his story, he made it clear from the start that the intention was not to show off. As he wrote in his post, “now before u come at me lemme clear it: I'm not showing off, I'm just proud of myself and wanna share my success as I don't have any friends lol.”
Looking back, he said, “did random projects at first, got underpaid a lot, worked with terrible clients too, but over time got better at growth + marketing stuff.”
Instead of formal education, he focused on learning by doing. He explained that he never had a strong academic setup and mostly relied on internet-based learning while building small projects over time.
Alongside this, he started posting regularly on X, simply sharing what he was learning and building. This, according to him, became a key part of his visibility in the industry.
He described his approach as self-driven and consistent rather than planned, saying he just kept building things and learning through exposure.
As he described it, “got rejected… emailed again… got ignored… emailed again… got rejected again. I think I sent like 20+ emails in total over time.”
Eventually, he managed to find a more direct way to contact the founder and sent a clear message explaining his past work and what value he could bring. That approach finally got attention, and he was called for an interview.
According to his post, the interview did not focus on his academic background. Instead, the discussion revolved around execution, marketing ideas, psychology behind growth, and practical experience from his freelance work.
He said the conversation was more about what he had already done rather than what he had studied. A few days after the interview, he received the offer.
He explained that he works on what he calls AI distribution funnels, helping startups amplify content and visibility across platforms. According to him, the demand in the B2B space is growing as startups want stronger online presence.
He described it as a mix of infrastructure building and distribution strategy, involving access to multiple theme pages across Instagram and LinkedIn.
One user pointed out skepticism about the claim, while another highlighted that such roles in startups often involve equity or non-standard compensation structures.
There was also confusion in the comments about the term “AI distribution funnels,” with some users calling it just a rebranded version of growth marketing and content distribution work.
Sharing his story, he made it clear from the start that the intention was not to show off. As he wrote in his post, “now before u come at me lemme clear it: I'm not showing off, I'm just proud of myself and wanna share my success as I don't have any friends lol.”
Early freelancing and learning from the internet
The journey, according to him, started very early. Around the age of 16, he began taking up freelance work without a clear direction. He mentioned that the early phase was messy and not very structured, with underpaid projects and difficult client experiences.Looking back, he said, “did random projects at first, got underpaid a lot, worked with terrible clients too, but over time got better at growth + marketing stuff.”
Instead of formal education, he focused on learning by doing. He explained that he never had a strong academic setup and mostly relied on internet-based learning while building small projects over time.
Building experience and online presence
Over time, he worked on multiple freelance projects and gradually entered more serious work. He claimed to have contributed to the growth team of a large company in a freelance capacity.Alongside this, he started posting regularly on X, simply sharing what he was learning and building. This, according to him, became a key part of his visibility in the industry.
He described his approach as self-driven and consistent rather than planned, saying he just kept building things and learning through exposure.
The job opportunity and repeated rejection
The turning point came when he discovered a startup role paying around Rs 70 LPA. The company had reportedly raised close to $50 million in San Francisco, which made the opportunity highly competitive. He applied but was rejected. He tried again, got ignored, and kept following up multiple times.As he described it, “got rejected… emailed again… got ignored… emailed again… got rejected again. I think I sent like 20+ emails in total over time.”
Eventually, he managed to find a more direct way to contact the founder and sent a clear message explaining his past work and what value he could bring. That approach finally got attention, and he was called for an interview.
According to his post, the interview did not focus on his academic background. Instead, the discussion revolved around execution, marketing ideas, psychology behind growth, and practical experience from his freelance work.
He said the conversation was more about what he had already done rather than what he had studied. A few days after the interview, he received the offer.
AI distribution funnels
In the comment section, users asked him to explain his role more clearly since the original post did not define it well.He explained that he works on what he calls AI distribution funnels, helping startups amplify content and visibility across platforms. According to him, the demand in the B2B space is growing as startups want stronger online presence.
He described it as a mix of infrastructure building and distribution strategy, involving access to multiple theme pages across Instagram and LinkedIn.
Reactions from Reddit users
The post quickly attracted mixed reactions. Some users praised the consistency and early freelancing experience, while others questioned the legitimacy of the salary figure and the exact nature of the job.One user pointed out skepticism about the claim, while another highlighted that such roles in startups often involve equity or non-standard compensation structures.
There was also confusion in the comments about the term “AI distribution funnels,” with some users calling it just a rebranded version of growth marketing and content distribution work.
