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Bengaluru techie says he lost 3 years at Zoho to stress and self-doubt

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Kewal Agrawal reflected on his tenure at Zoho between 2015 and 2018, noting that he developed an aversion to coding and felt constant self-doubt during that period. He clarified that he harbors no ill will toward the company or co-founder Sridhar Vembu, viewing the experience as a cultural misalignment. His professional outlook shifted significantly after he moved to MishiPay, a smaller startup where he regained his confidence in less than a year. The viral post has resonated across the tech sector, prompting professionals to openly discuss career compatibility and mental health.

Key points

  • Professional struggles frequently stem from a fundamental workplace mismatch rather than…: Professional struggles frequently stem from a fundamental workplace mismatch rather than shortcomings of the employee or employer.
  • Financial instability and early-career insecurity often prevent junior professionals from…: Financial instability and early-career insecurity often prevent junior professionals from leaving stressful and unsuitable work environments.
  • Finding an organization aligned with personal strengths can quickly reverse the career an…: Finding an organization aligned with personal strengths can quickly reverse the career anxiety caused by cultural friction.

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Getting your dream job is often seen as the beginning of a successful career. But what happens when the workplace you once hoped to join slowly becomes a source of stress, anxiety and self-doubt? For Kewal Agrawal, a former Zoho employee who now works as a senior product manager at Flipkart, the answer came after three difficult years.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Agrawal looked back at his time at Zoho in Chennai, where he worked as a member of the technical staff from 2015 to 2018. What began as an exciting career milestone eventually became a period during which he struggled with his confidence and even lost interest in the work he once enjoyed. His experience also carries a message for professionals who feel stuck in an unsuitable workplace: sometimes, a difficult career phase is not about a bad employee or a bad organisation. It can simply be a mismatch.

When a dream job starts feeling like the wrong place

Agrawal remembered being extremely happy when he received his first job offer from Zoho. For a young professional beginning…

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