A startup's culture is stronger for those in their 20s
Published on November 30, 2025
I began my journey in my early 20s at a small startup called Vaansoft, a tech company in Coimbatore with fewer than ten people, entirely focused on sustainable technology.
In that company, founded during the COVID pandemic (mid-2021). Back then, we were just four people offering web design, software development, and digital marketing - all of us in our 20s. I was in the technology department, responsible for choosing the right tech stack for clients. Even though we were in South Asia, our clients were mainly from Europe, so our work hours aligned with theirs.
Those first few days were tough. None of us really knew how to handle client requirements or even deploy things properly. And remember - there was no ChatGPT, no Anthropic, no AI copilots to save us.
The cofounders handled sales and marketing. My cousin, Amudhan, handled DevOps and digital marketing. At the end of each day, I would build and design the website, push the code to GitHub, and Amudhan would deploy it to Google Cloud. The funniest part? He used to run QA directly in Production.
Somehow, we survived 2021.
The Real Game Begins!
2021 was our bun-butter-jam phase. But 2022? That was survival mode. We had to establish ourselves, or we'd vanish in the crowded tech world. GDPR was peaking, so we discontinued most of our services. We lost clients. A few team members took breaks. Our decisions collapsed, and we wasted the first quarter. But by Q2, we finally decided to fix our structure and take real responsibilities.
Responsibilities
The core problem?
We were all in our 20s - fresh out of college, supported mainly by our parents, and had barely experienced real responsibilities. Whenever something went wrong, we blamed each other. That cracked our foundation.
So we restructured:
- Founders → Identify problems, build prototypes, define mission, vision, strategy, and values. Not chase sales.
- Me → Full responsibility for engineering.
- Amudhan → Overall sales and marketing.
- New hires → Content writer and designer (minimal budget).
This structure finally gave us clarity.
Goals
When you're 20-something, the goal usually sounds like: earn money, get a title, live rich. But that's not why the four of us were at Vaansoft.
Life goals are unpredictable. I've always loved the peace of rural life. But reality - and the global economy - pushes us toward growth.
We realised our goals had to be deeper:
- Serve clients with genuine value.
- Don't take "chicky" clients.
- Offer complete business tech solutions, not random tasks.
- Set small goals, learn continuously, and deliver quality.
Our client count has decreased. But revenue increased 10x compared to the earlier clutter of services.
Time Management
In your 20s, time hits differently in a startup. Some days, 24 hours feel like 15 because everything is research, troubleshooting, and firefighting.
Our sleep cycles broke. We got dehydrated. We lost balance.
So we fixed it:
- Set strict work hours (max 32 to 40 hours per week)
- Quality over quantity
- No investor pressure
- Focus on learning + execution
- Spend time only where value is made
By Q4 2022, the entire team was strong in their roles, managing their time well. We even secured a recurring client.
Growth opportunity
By the end of 2022, we delivered consistent quality as a small but mighty team. Our next plan was to scale in the East region. But the founders had their own Plan B - a new, deeper vision.
They believed everyone is born to create a peaceful environment and live meaningfully. So we shifted into technology research and development (can't disclose yet). I learned more than I expected - from geopolitics to global business frameworks. Mistakes stopped being failures. They became growth engines.
Independent Life
After four years with the startup team, I learned:
- How to build a high-quality business
- How to find purpose
- How to live peacefully
- How to create value without harming anything
- How to think long-term
By the end of 2024, Vaansoft had grown into a solid tech company with loyal clients and stable growth. The founders stepped into a new era using Vaansoft as their foundation.
My cousin and I also became independent giants in technology. We could replicate the company if we wanted - but we didn't. Instead, I focused on my own path.
After years in tech, I'm entering a new chapter: planetary sustainability.
Verdict
My 20s inside a startup taught me Technology, Marketing, Leadership, Responsibility, and Quality - everything that matters before building your own venture.
Most people waste their 20s, even though the world is moving at 5X speed while we stay at 1X. But doing 1% every day builds up to 1.36X in a year.
It's never too late. Time is the real wealth. A startup is a prepaid learning school for everyone. By the end of your 20s, your kingdom is already waiting for you.