'I quit JPMorgan and took a 70% pay cut': Gurgaon co-founder says job felt 'robotic'

A Gurgaon-based cofounder of a fintech platform recently revealed that he had walked away from a high-paying role at JPMorgan to chase meaning over money — a decision that involved a 70 percent pay cut and a complete lifestyle reset. Meet Semlani told Business Insider that the job felt "robotic".

The 33-year-old had joined JPMorgan in 2015 as an intern and later became an associate in asset management. Like many peers, he subscribed to the “30 VP” mantra — aiming for vice president status by 30. “I had associated my identity with working at JPMorgan,” he said, recalling how the prestige and pay shaped his choices. But by 26, the grind felt “robotic.” Days blurred into meetings and spreadsheets, while conversations revolved around mortgages and family plans. “I didn’t see a future for myself there,” he told the publication.

The turning point came during a 10-day silent meditation retreat. “I asked myself, ‘Do I really want to live like this?’ The answer was no,” Semlani said. Returning with clarity, he quit JPMorgan and joined a startup helping international students — a move that slashed his salary by 70 percent. “Scaling down was tough. I thought about going back, but I stayed,” he said. Lifestyle changes were inevitable: fewer dinners at upscale restaurants, less travel, and a conscious effort to curb spending habits. “I definitely experienced lifestyle creep at JPMorgan. Letting go of that was hard,” he admitted.

The startup hustle gave him what banking couldn’t: impact and agility. “I felt meaningfully busy, not just calendar busy,” he said. Being able to share ideas with the CEO and see decisions happen in real time changed his perspective on success. But the journey wasn’t linear. When the company faced fundraising issues in late 2019, Semlani was laid off. The pandemic soon followed, giving him time to regroup and launch Tartan, which has since raised over $6 million globally.