If you think "Big Dreams" aren’t for you — Read This

From a Quiet Dream to a Real One — My Pune Story

First time I came to Pune, I was still in college.

It was just a normal trip, nothing serious. But I still remember standing outside those big glass buildings — Infosys, Cognizant, TCS… people walking out in formals, ID cards around their necks, talking in English, busy with work. And I thought to myself, “Someday, I want to work in a place like this.” Didn’t know how, or when… but the thought stayed.

A Few Years Later

I had around 2.5 years of dev experience. Job was okay. Salary was decent. But inside, I felt stuck. Same type of work, same routine — nothing exciting.

So I resigned.

But just before leaving, the company offered me WFH — and this was before COVID, when WFH wasn’t that common. I took it.

I still moved to Pune. Not for a job change — just to try something different. I thought, “Let me stay with the same job for now, but explore the city, build some network, see what’s happening in tech, meet new people.”

And Then, COVID Hit

Just when I was thinking of switching, COVID came in. I even got one offer — but it got revoked.

And since I was the only earning person in my family, I decided not to take any more risks. So I stayed in the same job. That turned into another 2.5 years.

So total — 5.5 years in the same company. Half the time in their Ahmedabad office, and the other half from Pune.

Too Comfortable, Maybe Too Safe

The company was good to me. Pay was fine. I got to learn a lot. I’m thankful for everything.

But at the same time, I knew I wasn’t really chasing my dream anymore. I came to Pune hoping to grow — to work in an MNC, meet people, level up. But I was just sitting comfortably in WFH mode.

Finally, A Change

Then came the offer from Accenture — my first MNC.

I was really happy. Not just because of the role or brand — but because it felt like that old dream was finally happening.

Today — The Dream Keeps Growing

Now I work as a Senior Software Engineer. Life isn’t perfect — but it’s the life I once wished for.

Sometimes when I pass those same buildings, I smile a little. I think of that college boy — zero clue about anything, but still dreaming big. Not because he had confidence, but because he had nothing to lose — and everything to try for.

You know what’s amazing about dreams? Just when you think you’ve achieved them, they evolve and push you further.

Back in July 2023, I set my sights on one of the biggest names in open-source software — Red Hat. I tried, but things didn’t work out then. Instead of letting that discourage me, I kept pushing forward, kept learning, kept believing.

And in 2025, it finally happened. I joined Red Hat, the company I had dreamed of.

Every day there feels like a reminder that persistence really does pay off. Sometimes, you might not get what you want on the first try — or even the second or third. But if you keep pushing forward, if you don’t let setbacks define your story, good things will happen.

Why I’m Sharing This

Not to brag. Not to inspire.

Just to say — if you come from a small place, or a middle-class background, and sometimes feel like big dreams aren’t for you…

Please don’t give up too early. You never know what one crazy step might lead to.