CRED founder and CEO Kunal Shah’s extraordinary journey from financial adversity to entrepreneurial success has recently been spotlighted again, thanks to Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani. In a candid conversation at a Delhi coffee shop, Shah revealed that when his family went bankrupt, he worked as a delivery agent and data entry operator while studying philosophy at Mumbai’s Wilson College.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani, who shared this on X, praised Shah’s unique path in a world dominated by IIT and IIM graduates, saying, “In a world of IIT, IIM Founders, he stands out as a philosophy graduate.” Shah chose practical philosophy because his family had gone bankrupt, forcing him to work full-time as a delivery boy and data entry operator. Philosophy was the only subject where classes ran from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Shah’s journey to financial independence began at the age of 16 when he worked odd jobs such as pirating CDs and running a cybercafé from home. Despite his success, he chooses to get paid Rs 15,000 per month as CRED’s CEO. In an Instagram story, he explained his philosophy, stating that he believes in earning a substantial salary only when the company is profitable.
This revelation has sparked widespread interest and admiration, with more than 509,000 views in just a few days. The comments section was flooded with praise, with users describing Shah’s journey as “inspirational.” Viewers emphasized the value of perseverance, hard work, and determination in achieving success.
Others wrote “Hard work attracts success. Some start early, get some early success & then stop. Others start later, but continue for longer & succeed better,” wrote one user. Another commented, “Wow! That’s wonderful. Didn’t know this side of @kunalb11 Come to think he does get philosophical occasionally.”
“Truly inspirational. This shows nothing is impossible in life. Determination with sustained efforts over long periods gets you success,” expressed a third user. A fourth user added, “Kudos to Kunal Shah who is an inspiration and so many other strugglers whose stories are not known to people at large but they kept going.”