A 24 year old software engineer from Delhi has walked away from what many consider a dream job at Google, choosing instead to spend a year experimenting with life, travel and personal freedom. Harshit Sharma, who worked in Bengaluru, says his decision was not impulsive but the result of years of reflection, financial planning and a growing sense of disconnect with corporate life.
Speaking with HT.com, Sharma opened up about his journey from a conventional engineering path to a deeply personal decision to step away from a high paying job and rethink his priorities.
From Delhi classrooms to Google offices
“I’m Harshit Sharma. I’m 24. I was born and brought up in Delhi, a city that teaches you to hustle before it teaches you how to breathe,” he said, reflecting on his early life.
Like many Indian students who perform well in science subjects, Sharma followed a familiar path. “I was the kid who scored well in Math and Science because they were logical. When you’re good at PCM in India, the world just points at an Engineering college,” he explained. “I didn’t ‘fall in love’ with tech. I just happened to be good at it.”
After completing his B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia, he worked across companies including Amazon before finally securing a role at Google. “It was less of a ‘calling’ and more of a ‘climb’,” he admitted.
Life at Google and the reality behind the dream
Sharma joined Google in April 2024 as a software engineer working on Google Ads, after facing 31 rejections from the company. “In the industry, Google is the ‘End Game’. It’s the gold medal,” he said.
Describing his daily routine, he noted the contrast between perception and reality. “On paper, it’s a dream. Great offices, free gourmet food, and the smartest people in the world. My day was a mix of writing lots of code, few meetings and design reviews every week and more recently even ‘Vibe Coding’ with Internal Gemini to push production features.”
However, he also felt a sense of disconnect. “Behind the perks, it’s still a corporate machine. You spend 40 hours a week optimising buttons or fixing SQL spikes for a company that is so large, your individual impact feels like a drop in an infinite ocean.”
Bengaluru life: opportunities and loneliness
Sharma described Bengaluru as both professionally enriching and personally challenging. “Bengaluru is a high pressure cooker for tech talent. Professionally, it’s unmatched,” he said, adding that he met founders, creators and ambitious peers constantly working towards something more.
Yet, the personal side told a different story. “It was also lonely at times. I lived in PGs and single rooms even while earning a Google salary,” he shared.
He consciously chose to live frugally. “I realised early on that the more you increase your lifestyle, the more you lock the door of your own cage by becoming dependent on your salary.” This approach helped him build savings that later enabled his decision to quit.
The moment that changed everything
A seemingly routine workday became a turning point for Sharma. Recalling the incident, he said, “It was 4 PM on a workday, I was leaving for gym. But we got a customer issue.”
What followed left a lasting impression. “My manager came to my desk… then right before leaving my desk, he remembered a third dashboard. Jackpot. We saw a spike… it’s 6 PM now. He’s basically working on my laptop. I’m just watching.”
Observing his manager’s dedication sparked introspection. “There exist people who truly love engineering. I am not one of them,” he realised.
He was also struck by a deeper question. “At the time, I didn’t get why a man with 30 crores net worth, a wife and kids would spend his 6 PM fixing a ‘number’ on a dashboard no one really cares about.”
That evening became a turning point. “I sat in the office late at night and just re thought if this is the life I wanted. The answer was a clear no.”
Choosing uncertainty over predictability
Despite earning over ₹40 lakh annually and holding a prestigious role, Sharma felt uneasy about the predictability of his future. “I looked at people 10 years older than me… and realised if I stay, I know exactly what my life looks like in 2036. That certainty terrified me more than the uncertainty of quitting.”
Another factor influencing his decision was pressure from family discussions around marriage. “If I got into that, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave my job,” he said.
He eventually planned his exit carefully, ensuring financial stability. “I didn’t quit on a whim. I quit with a 3 year runway.”
A life beyond deadlines
After leaving his job, Sharma began what he calls “15 days of doing nothing”. “In our society, ‘nothing’ is a sin. I wanted to sit with my parents and see if I could exist without a deadline telling me I’m valuable,” he said.
He is currently travelling across Himachal Pradesh, including Spiti Valley, while mentoring students and professionals. “I’ve stopped ‘simulating’ life and started living it,” he said.
The change has brought unexpected joys. “Most rewarding aspects? Waking up without an alarm. Realising that I own 100 percent of my time.”
He has also rediscovered hobbies and personal interests. “I’ve picked up the harmonica again, I’m reading Shakespeare again… and I’m meeting people who don’t know what an ‘SDE 2’ is.”
Redefining success
For Sharma, the experience has reshaped his understanding of success. “Success is a funny word to me… it has been defined as Paisa, Power and Praise,” he said.
He now sees it differently. “Success isn’t the height of your salary, it’s the width of your freedom.”
He elaborated, “If you have 1 crore in the bank but no control over your Monday morning, you aren’t successful. On the other hand, if you spend every waking minute doing something you like and make just enough to survive, you’re successful.”
Advice to young professionals
Sharma emphasised that such decisions require careful planning. “A similar move is sustainable only if you pay your ‘ransom’ first,” he said, referring to financial preparedness.
His advice is practical and direct. “Don’t leap without a parachute. Build your fund, then buy your freedom.”
He also warned against tying identity to a job. “Don’t let your job become your personality. Your company will replace your role in two weeks, but your family won’t replace you in a lifetime.”
Encouraging others to explore, he added, “If you use your job smartly, you can get out of the rat race… to see what life could be free of the giant corporate machine.”
‘The search is the point’
Despite stepping away from a structured career path, Sharma admits he has not found all the answers. “I thought I’d find ‘my answer’ to life in a week. I haven’t,” he said.
Instead, he has embraced the journey itself. “I’ve realised that the ‘search’ is the point. There is no grand conclusion… you just have to enjoy the music while it’s playing.”