Kabir, a young man from a small town, had big dreams. After completing his BCA, he was thrilled to join an organization as a software engineer. He believed working in the tech field would allow him to face challenges, learn new things, and one day proudly show off to his friends that he had created something special. Kabir loved attention and enjoyed being praised by his friends and family. He worked hard, hoping to make everyone proud.

However, reality hit him differently. Instead of challenging projects, Kabir’s manager handed him piles of e-books to read. In the beginning, Kabir found it exciting because he was learning new things, but after a while, it felt wrong to sit in the office reading books instead of doing actual work. Yet, since he was still getting paid, he pretended to read while secretly watching movies and listening to music. Months passed, and eventually, Kabir was assigned a project. He proved to be a fast learner and performed well.

Kabir’s job, however, wasn’t very demanding. The company he worked for dealt with import and export and had developed their own ERP software, so there wasn’t much work. He finished tasks quickly and was left with plenty of free time at the office. Kabir couldn’t sit idle for long; his restless energy from his student days pushed him to do something more with his time.

Business Idea 1: IT Learning Center

One day, Kabir had an idea. His office started at 9:30 AM, so why not use the early morning hours to run an IT learning center? He started offering tech classes and managed to get six students, each paying ₹5000. He felt on top of the world. He believed he had found the perfect side business. However, after the first session, he struggled to attract more students. Without the right promotion and networking, his learning center failed. Three months later, Kabir shut it down.

Business Idea 2: 7 Core IT Solutions

Despite the failure, Kabir’s entrepreneurial spirit remained strong. He partnered with two friends from his company, Mehra (an HR manager) and Hardev (a senior developer), to launch a new venture—7 Core IT Solutions. The idea was simple: create affordable websites for clients and train college students to work on live projects. Kabir landed two clients right away and earned ₹12,000 in the first month. He was ecstatic.

But things quickly went downhill. Hardev started taking clients independently, refusing to bring them under the 7 Core banner. A heated argument followed, and Hardev left the partnership. With the team falling apart, Kabir decided to shut down 7 Core, splitting the remaining ₹30,000 between the three partners. Still, Kabir promised himself that one day, he would start his own successful company.

Business Idea 3: Joining an NGO

Influenced by his childhood friend Ravi, who was active in social work, Kabir decided to try a different path. Ravi was starting an NGO for the elderly and asked Kabir to handle the tech side. Although Kabir’s family was hesitant, he decided to give it a shot. He resigned from his job and joined the NGO full-time, moving from Amritsar to Delhi to learn about the social sector. But something didn’t feel right to Kabir. His family and friends didn’t support the decision, and deep down, he wasn’t passionate about the work.

After three months, Kabir realized the NGO wasn’t for him. When he decided to leave, Ravi and his girlfriend demanded he pay for 60 days’ worth of notice or face legal action. Kabir borrowed money from his brother and paid them off, leaving the NGO behind and returning to IT.

Business Idea 4: Freelancing During COVID-19

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kabir was working from home. He met Param, another freelancer, and the two teamed up. Kabir finally started getting freelance projects, earning ₹10,000 extra each month. For the first time in years, he felt like his dream was within reach. But as Kabir’s freelance work flourished, Param became insecure. Param lied to Kabir, claiming clients were unhappy, and convinced Kabir to drop the projects. In reality, Param was keeping the clients for himself. Betrayed, Kabir had to let go of freelancing, yet again seeing his efforts crumble due to someone else’s actions.

Business Idea 5: BOSS ERP

By 2023, Kabir was working at a big MNC but still felt unfulfilled. His dream of starting his own company never left him. This time, he had an idea—BOSS ERP, a product that could revolutionize business operations. He wrote down his ideas, structuring them into a plan. Kabir brought on his college friend, Pardeep, and together they created the first version of BOSS ERP. They received positive feedback, but Kabir knew he needed a larger team to make the product a success.

He approached his office colleagues, Loval and Rubal, who loved the idea and agreed to join him. For the first time, Kabir had a dedicated team. Together, they relaunched 7 Core IT Solutions, determined to make BOSS ERP a hit.

However, just as things started looking up, their MNC employer announced a company merger with poor employee policies. The uncertainty affected everyone, and Kabir and his team had to put 7 Core on hold to focus on their jobs. Kabir felt frustrated, as if the universe was delaying his success.

But Kabir is a fighter. No matter how many times life knocks him down, he refuses to give up. He knows that the right time will come, and when it does, he will rise again. Kabir’s story is far from over. One day, he will have his own successful company, and his perseverance will pay off.

As Kabir always says, “Picture abhi baaki hai, mere dost.”

To be continued…