IIT Kanpur Alum Harsh Pokharna on Start-Up Struggles, Failures & Long-Term Success

CEO and IIT Kanpur graduate, Harsh Pokharna recently shared his entrepreneurial journey on social media, acknowledging that there is still a “long way to go.” In his LinkedIn post, Pokharna reflected on the moment he left his job at Flipkart to launch his own start-up and recounted the early setbacks he faced before establishing his current venture.

Inspired by the wave of startup entrepreneurs securing substantial funding, Pokharna quit his job with the goal of “making a lot of money quickly.” However, the first few years did not go as planned. He experimented with three different business ideas, none of which succeeded, leaving him in a difficult financial situation. After exhausting his savings, he turned to freelancing to support himself while continuing to explore potential ventures.

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Now, with eight years in the business, Pokharna co-founded OkCredit in 2017. His experiences taught him that startup success takes time.

“It’s a long-term game, not a get-rich-quick scheme,” Pokharna said. “You will be disappointed if you pursue it just for money rather than to solve a real problem. I saw founders around me raising millions in capital, it seemed easy. But the reality? I failed three times in the first two years. After running out of money, I had to freelance just to make ends meet. Even after eight years of building OkCredit, there’s still a long way to go.”

Pokharna emphasized that startups do not guarantee instant success. “This isn’t a shortcut to wealth, it's a long-term commitment,” he reiterated.

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Who is Harsh Pokharna?

Harsh Pokharna is the CEO and co-founder of OkCredit, a widely used credit-based bookkeeping tool for Indian MSMEs. In his role, he oversees all aspects of corporate operations, with a strong focus on hiring, fundraising, and expansion.

Harsh holds a degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Kanpur. A natural leader, he served as the Cultural Secretary of Hall 5, where he successfully increased funding by 50%, raising ₹1.8 lakh. He was also awarded the Energy Championship Award by IIT Kanpur for his contributions to reducing food and electricity waste on campus. Additionally, he founded the Students in Free Enterprise chapter at IIT Kanpur and served as its president.