How podcaster Raj Shamani helped JEE aspirant earn ₹1 crore by 22: ‘Had no degree…he still bet on me’
A late-night message to entrepreneur and podcaster Raj Shamani turned into a career-changing opportunity for Aditya Bansal, who says the break eventually helped him build a career that saw him earn ₹1 crore by the age of 22.
Bansal, who was 17 at the time, was preparing for the JEE in 2021 when he contacted Shamani after regularly watching his videos. What began as an unsolicited Twitter thread led to his first paid writing assignment and eventually opened the door to more freelance work.
The X user recently shared the story, describing it as an experience he had never previously spoken about.
From JEE preparation to writing
Bansal was preparing for the JEE, which had been postponed to October that year. However, he said much of his attention had shifted towards self-improvement content on YouTube, where he frequently watched Shamani’s videos.
By then, Bansal had already tried several ways of making money, including graphic design and website development, but none had worked out.
“I had been trying to make money for a while by then. Tried graphic design, website development, and a few other things. Everything failed,” he wrote.
His expected career path was to clear the JEE, study engineering and eventually secure a job. But Bansal said he could already imagine where that route would lead and was not convinced it was what he wanted.
A 10:41 pm message gets a reply
After watching one of Shamani’s videos about different income streams, Bansal decided to turn the ideas discussed in it into a Twitter thread.
He spent several hours putting the thread together in a Google Doc before sending it directly to Shamani, without asking for payment or expecting a job.
The message was sent at 10:41 pm. Shamani responded at 3:53 am.
“Let me upload this, and if it works out, I will hire you for my Twitter threads, cool?” Shamani wrote.
Bansal acknowledged that the thread was not his strongest piece of writing. Despite having almost no professional experience, it attracted around 1,200 likes.
Shamani gave a teenager his first break
At just 17, Bansal had no degree or professional portfolio, but Shamani decided to give him an opportunity.
“I was 17. With no degree. No experience. Nothing to show. He still bet on me. He hired the 17-year-old kid,” Bansal wrote.
Bansal went on to produce five or six Twitter threads for Shamani. Since he did not have a bank account, his payments came in the form of Amazon gift cards.
However, Bansal said the most valuable part of the experience was not the payment. Shamani shared information and sources with him, supplied material for his work and made him feel like part of the team.
“He even wished me a happy birthday. He noticed the small things,” Bansal wrote.
One testimonial opened another door
The arrangement eventually came to an end when Shamani decided he needed a full-time team. Before parting ways, however, he gave Bansal a testimonial.
That recommendation became important in Bansal’s next step, helping him secure his first retainer client.
From there, Bansal continued working independently. He said he has since worked with more than 45 founders and eventually crossed ₹1 crore in earnings by the age of 22.
He credited the first opportunity from Shamani with giving him the confidence to continue pursuing independent work, including during periods when he had no clients or income.
‘That DM is still the best thing I ever wrote’
Bansal said he and Shamani have not spoken privately outside a podcast, although he hopes they will have a conversation someday.
“Thank you, @rajshamani. That DM is still the best thing I ever wrote,” he wrote.
The post subsequently drew considerable attention online, with several users highlighting the impact of Bansal’s decision to reach out despite having no professional credentials at the time.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
