Getting into Bengaluru as an outsider ✨

An approach that works almost always for most roles.

People in their mid-20s. Been through one or two jobs. Wanting to move to product-based companies, here's an approach to get into the Bengaluru tech scene - no hacks, I promise 👇

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First, stop listening to people on Twitter or LinkedIn who tell you that moving to Bengaluru is overrated. They either haven’t understood the opportunity or have made their money by now. Their advice isn’t useful for someone in their mid-20s.

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I moved to Bengaluru in 2018.
At that time, there were only a handful of unicorns and almost no major public tech IPOs. Fast-forward seven years—I worked at two solid product companies and co-founded GrowthX, which we'll IPO together in the next few years.

I am telling you this to help you visualize the opportunity.
I was born and raised in a small town in Maharashtra and graduated from Pune. Moving to Bengaluru at 26 was a "life-uprooting" event when I had everything sorted.

But was the "uprooting" worth the effort?
1000% Yes.

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So, if you are in your 20s.
Figuring out what to do next in career.
Here's a calculated risk approach for you 👇

One - Figure out your core strength.
By your mid-20s, you must have arrived at your "right to win." This will be either a product-building skill set ( Product managers, Designers, Engineering) or a marketing skill set (Marketing, Brand, Sales).

Two - Build solid proof of work.
Use that core strength to do an end-to-end project within your current company. Ensure you can solve the same problem for any company. For example, if you are a paid ads marketer who works in an agency, ensure you have the competency to solve paid ads as a channel for a brand.

Three - Worst case scenario.
Now, this is a hard part. Most won't be able to get through it. You need to ask yourself, "If I quit my current role and come back in 6 months, will I be able to get back into a similar role at my current salary?" If the answer is "Yes," then move to step 4.

Four - Building the role pipeline.
Now create a list of 10 Bengaluru founders you want to work with. Pick a marketing, product, design, or engineering problem you can solve for that company. Scope the solution and send it to the founder and specific CXO based on your function. Everyone's email is {first name@company name} or {first name. surname@company name}

Fifth - Work for free/ paid consult.
Work part-time or for free to help that company solve a specific problem. And then don't expect anything in return. You will get a full-time role or a strong word of mouth from that founder.

Sixth - Spend time in Bengaluru.
Give yourself 6 months—spend time with people who are building products. You will find them in Thirdwave cafes, micro-communities like GrowthX, and Marquee events that are hard to get tickets for.

Seven - Be patient; let serendipity surprise you.
Bengaluru is interesting. It rewards people who can solve problems. People who are easy to work with. Coachable people. People who want to do good work. Don't worry; you will find your place in Bengaluru.

I hope this helps.
Good luck - you'll need it.

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