In an era where technology and entrepreneurship increasingly intersect, Saiman Shetty sets an example of how strategic career planning and continuous learning can lead to success in both technical and business ventures. His journey from Tesla's manufacturing floors to founding multiple startups offers valuable insights into the modern tech entrepreneurship landscape.
Shetty's career began at Tesla, where he spent two and a half years optimizing manufacturing processes. This early exposure to innovative technology, scale operations and working with the best minds provided him with a foundation that would prove invaluable in his future endeavours. "Working at Tesla was one of the smartest moves in my career," Shetty reflects, highlighting how the experience shaped his understanding of bringing complex technical concepts to market.
Following his time at Tesla, Shetty made a calculated move being able to see the potential of self-driving cars to Lyft's self-driving division, where he successfully transitioned from engineering to technical product management. This shift marked a crucial evolution in his career, combining hands-on technical expertise with business management skills. Further, at Nuro, he continues to push the boundaries of robotics technology, driven by the mission to make robotics more accessible in everyday life.
However, what makes Shetty interesting is his parallel pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures. While maintaining his corporate career, he has launched multiple successful side projects, including Hygeia, an IoT-based waste management startup that caught the attention of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. His latest venture, Resume Puppy, co-founded with Anish Hegde, focuses on helping job seekers, particularly immigrants, create better resumes.
Perhaps most notably, Shetty's personal experience navigating the complex U.S. immigration system led him to create resources for others facing similar challenges. After successfully obtaining an Einstein visa (EB-1A), he developed a course sharing his expertise in the process, demonstrating his commitment to helping others navigate the complexities of getting a Visa while building a sustainable business model.
"I am not just selling a service but a way to make life easier," Shetty explains, emphasizing his philosophy of solving real, existing problems rather than creating artificial demand. This approach has served him well across his ventures, where he focuses on addressing challenges he has personally experienced or observed.
Despite his success, Shetty maintains a refreshingly realistic view of entrepreneurship. He acknowledges that the founder's journey isn't for everyone, noting that about 20% of new businesses fail in their first year, and half don't survive until their fifth anniversary. However, some of the big companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook have been startups before they could change how people operate or do stuff. He encourages building one’s own company and his candid insights about the challenges of entrepreneurship – from financial instability to work-life balance struggles – offer valuable perspective for aspiring founders.
Shetty's approach is unique because he emphasizes maintaining multiple streams of knowledge and viewing side projects as "ongoing experiments of finding himself." This philosophy has allowed him to build a diverse portfolio of ventures while continuing to grow in his career.
As the tech industry continues to evolve, Shetty's story serves as a blueprint for modern entrepreneurs who wish to balance innovation with practicality, and technical expertise with business acumen. His success demonstrates that with will and interest, it's possible to merge corporate experience with entrepreneurial ambitions while making an impact on society.
This content is produced by Naushad Modasiya.
