World News : While artificial intelligence (AI) is often blamed for replacing jobs, former Google executive Yusuf Imran has gone viral for doing the exact opposite—quitting his high-paying job to build an AI startup of his own.
In an article published by Business Insider, Imran explained why he walked away from a job that earned him nearly ₹9.3 crore (about $1.1 million) annually to pursue entrepreneurship in the rapidly growing AI industry.
High Salary, But Bigger Ambitions
The 41-year-old joined Google in 2020 as an Account Executive, helping businesses adopt Google’s AI and machine learning solutions. His base salary was around ₹1.6 crore, but with commissions and incentives, his total earnings reached approximately ₹9.3 crore in 2025.
Despite the lucrative compensation, Imran felt that simply working in AI was no longer enough. He wanted to become an active builder in the industry rather than remain an employee.
AI Boom Triggered FOMO
Imran said the rapid rise of AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic made him realize that the biggest financial rewards in AI could come through equity ownership, not just salaries.
Watching early employees at these startups benefit from valuable stock holdings gave him a strong sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Instead of helping grow someone else’s company, he decided it was time to build his own.
From Bangladesh to Google
Born in Bangladesh, Imran moved to New York with his family when he was five years old. Growing up in an immigrant household taught him the value of hard work from an early age.
After spending nearly 15 years in sales, he joined Google, believing that in sales, talent and performance often matter more than academic qualifications.
Google by Day, AI Experiments by Night
Even after office hours, Imran spent countless nights experimenting with AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
Although he is not a software engineer, he gradually learned to build applications using AI-assisted coding tools. Over about 18 months, he developed several small AI products, eventually gaining the confidence to launch his own company.
Layoffs Reinforced His Decision
Google’s recent layoffs also influenced his thinking.
Imran observed that not only underperforming employees but also highly talented professionals were losing their jobs. The experience convinced him that no job is truly secure in today’s technology industry.
“If I’m going to take a risk,” he concluded, “I’d rather take it for my own dream.”
Careful Financial Planning
Imran stressed that his resignation was not an impulsive decision.
Before leaving Google, he saved approximately $200,000 to fund his startup for two years and set aside another $150,000 for household expenses, mortgage payments, and other financial commitments. His goal was to avoid raising outside investment in the early stages and retain full ownership of the company.
Building an AI Startup
After leaving Google in April 2026, Imran founded Mangosteen Studio, an AI product lab focused on developing tools that help sales professionals and account executives work more efficiently.
Drawing on nearly two decades of sales experience, he is creating solutions to problems he personally encountered throughout his career. The startup currently operates with a small team, and several sales professionals have already tested its AI services for free.
AI Is Lowering Barriers to Entrepreneurship
According to Imran, AI has dramatically reduced the difficulty of starting a business.
He believes that domain expertise is now more valuable than programming skills alone. With AI-powered development tools, professionals from different industries can transform their knowledge into software products without being expert coders.
“The biggest advantage today isn’t just knowing how to code—it’s deeply understanding a real-world problem,” he said.
Although leaving Google was difficult because of its talented teams, cutting-edge AI projects, and excellent benefits, Imran said he would have regretted not taking the chance.
“I didn’t just quit my job,” he said. “I bet on my own experience and conviction.”
His story highlights how AI is not only reshaping the job market but also inspiring professionals to launch businesses and explore new opportunities.
