It happened on the midnight of 31st December. While the world was busy counting down to fireworks, parties, and resolutions; I was quietly whispering goodbye… To a life I no longer felt alive in.
That night, I didn’t just leave a job. I left the identity I had worn for years. The applause, the achievements, the comfort zone. All of it.
Because deep inside, I knew something was off.
A full life that felt… empty
On paper, everything was perfect. High-impact role, recognition, respect, power. I had the chance to meet thousands of startups, work at the highest levels of the Government, influence policy, and move the needle.
But inside, it all felt hollow.
I was making a living… But not living my truth. I was solving others’ problems… But ignoring my own soul’s unrest.
Let’s be real, Money is important. But only for the body.
For the soul, it doesn’t do much. In fact, if you’re not careful, it begins to drain you.
The Inner Earthquake
No dramatic incident. No breakdown. Just a silent realization: This isn’t it.
Not many people are aware that I told my company not to offer me any more promotions, therefore I stopped pursuing them. This decision caused significant changes in me.
I was chasing peace. I didn’t want money without meaning.
It was time. In order to start again. To rebirth. To hit the spiritual reset button and ask
“Why am I really here?”
No Plan A. No Plan B. Just… Me
When I quit, I didn’t have a business plan. No strategy deck.
All I had was… resolve. A pure, honest resolve to find my purpose. And serve it with everything I had left.
I sat down alone and did a literal SWOT of my own life. Not for a startup. But for myself.
I asked:
- What excites me when nothing else does?
- What’s that one place I feel alive in?
- Where does my energy go effortlessly?
The answer kept coming back to one thing: startups and students. The raw energy. The chaos. The dreams. The conversations. That’s where my heart kept beating faster.
Enter: Venture Mozart
And then… it all clicked. I had always signed off with the pen name Venture Mozart, half for fun, half for identity. But in that moment, it wasn’t just a name anymore. It was a calling.
Just like Mozart orchestrated symphonies out of scattered notes, I wanted to help founders turn their chaos into creation. Tune their scattered instruments into a startup that sings. Not by preaching. But by walking with them. Shoulder to shoulder.
This wasn’t a business. It was a becoming. Venture Mozart became my voice. And I chose to live through it for the rest of my life, till my last breath.
What Is Corporate Moksha?
It’s not about quitting jobs. It’s about quitting what’s no longer you.
It is the knowledge that nothing can ever fully replace the satisfaction of waking up with purpose, regardless of wealth, status, or achievement.
It’s understanding that serving humanity isn’t just charity, it’s alignment.
That night, I chose purpose. I chose the slow, uncertain but beautiful path of building at my own pace into the unknown.
This is the 2nd chapter of VM Diary. The story of how I stopped running someone else’s race… And chose to walk my own journey, one soulful and deliberate step at a time.
If you’re standing at your own cliff, just know this: You don’t need to have all the answers. Sometimes, all you need… is to begin the questioning.
Let it lead you back to you.
happy venture building!
Abhishek Tiwari
