Siddhartha Saxena, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and a prominent tech entrepreneur, recently shared a remarkable claim: he once earned $8 million, equivalent to approximately ₹76.99 crore, within a single 24-hour period. Saxena, who co-founded the AI startup Merlin, recounted his journey from a modest Indian upbringing to establishing successful businesses in the United States during an interview.
From IIT to Tech Entrepreneurship
Saxena graduated from IIT Kanpur in 2019 with a B.Tech in Computer Science. He humorously noted that securing admission to the institute's Computer Science program is considerably more challenging than gaining entry into Harvard University. Following his graduation, Saxena pursued a career as a machine learning engineer, working with various organizations including Envestnet, Yodlee, Wadhwani AI, Aalto University in Finland, and Jumio Corporation in Canada.
When asked about his highest annual earnings, Saxena surprised the interviewer by revealing his single-day accomplishment. He confirmed that this event effectively made him a millionaire overnight at the age of 26.
Building Merlin and an Abundance Mindset
In 2022, Saxena co-founded Merlin, an AI-powered Chrome extension, alongside his IIT Kanpur batchmates Pratyush Rai and Sirsendu Sarkar. Reports indicate that Merlin currently holds a valuation of around $50 million. Saxena is also a co-founder of another venture, Thine.
Reflecting on the entrepreneurial landscape, Saxena emphasized the importance of an "abundance mindset" for founders. He contrasted this with what he perceives as a "scarcity mindset" often prevalent in India due to resource constraints. Saxena advocates for entrepreneurs to embrace risk-taking and actively seek out opportunities. He also drew distinctions between work cultures, suggesting that in the US, people often choose work for enjoyment, while necessity frequently drives career choices in India.
Looking back, Saxena admitted that he never envisioned such a level of success during his formative years, stating he "absolutely not" expected this future at age 16.