I started my entrepreneurial ride back in 2000.

Those days, we didn’t even call it a “startup.” We called it “business,” “consultancy,” or just “trying something on my own.”

There was no Shark Tank. No glossy LinkedIn posts with #hustle. No college workshops on “How to pitch to VCs.”

In 2000, entrepreneurship wasn’t a cool badge. It was something you did if you couldn’t find a job or if you were just stubborn enough to believe you could create something from nothing.

2000: Wild, open roads

• No references for success. The word “startup” was so rare, only one in a lakh even dared to dream it.
• Loyalty was real. Your first hire stayed not just for salary but for the dream, even if the office was a one-room setup with plastic chairs and Maaza bottles in the fridge.
• Markets were raw. Everything was new and waiting. A simple website could make you look like a global player.
• Corporates & tech were immature. Big companies were still figuring out email, and many had no clue how to use the internet beyond sending scanned copies of invoices.
• Open source was magic. You could build a product for the price of a few nights of filter coffee.
• Ecosystem? Nil. No accelerators, no pitch fests, no “startup India” subsidies. Just you, your idea, and sheer guts.
• Limited resources, big possibilities. Everything felt like a blank canvas.

2025: Crowded highways

• Startup became a fashion statement. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry wants to “launch something” — sometimes just to add “Founder” to their Instagram bio.
• Expensive game. Startups today mean burn rates, seed funding rounds, CAC vs LTV debates — even before you have your first paying customer.
• No loyalty. Employees switch for a ₹2,000 raise or a fancier “Head of Vibe” title.
• Tech consolidation. The top 5 tech giants dictate tools, languages, and frameworks. Your “freedom to build” has a Terms & Conditions page.
• Market consolidation. Big sharks have gobbled up fragmented small players. Niches get crushed before you even announce your beta.
• Ecosystem overload. Events, podcasts, awards, startup conferences. Everyone is “networking,” but very few are really building.
• Too many eyes, less patience. Today, if your product doesn’t go viral in 2 weeks, you’re labeled a flop.

Then vs Now: What’s the real deal?

In 2000, the road was empty and scary.
In 2025, the road is crowded and noisy.

Then, the challenge was survival in the unknown.
Now, the challenge is standing out in the overcrowded known.

Then, it was about creating a market.
Now, it’s about finding your slot in a saturated market.

Then, you worried about paying your first employee on time.
Now, you worry if your pitch deck slides have enough “impact words.”

But here’s the one thing that hasn’t changed:

The thrill of chasing a vision that only you can see.

Whether you’re hustling on a dusty internet café PC in 2000 or pitching on a Zoom call in 2025 — the soul of entrepreneurship remains the same:
A quiet voice inside that whispers, “Let’s try anyway.“

“Markets change. Tech evolves. But courage? That stays timeless.”