'I failed badly': Ankur Warikoo shares the biggest lesson from his early struggles

Success stories often skip the messy beginnings, but Ankur Warikoo refuses to leave that part out. The entrepreneur and mentor, who is now admired for his clarity and wisdom, admits that his journey wasn’t a straight line. In fact, he says he “failed badly” early on — and those setbacks turned out to be the best teachers. His reflections carry a reminder that chasing timelines and comparing milestones might be the real trap.

Warikoo revealed that in his late teens and early adulthood, he had to start over multiple times. Instead of smooth wins, what defined those years was failure and the uncomfortable process of figuring things out. Looking back, he believes that period laid the foundation for everything he has built since.

What helped him move forward was a combination of deep self-reflection, exploring new environments, and taking bold bets on himself. He insists that these formative years are not the finish line, as many assume, but the true beginning.


“The same people who praise me today often criticise themselves for not achieving enough early in life,” he wrote, urging his followers to rethink how they measure progress. For him, the idea that success must come by a certain age is nothing but a “made-up timeline.”


Instead, Warikoo says the real markers of growth are asking the right questions, immersing yourself in new experiences, and stepping outside your comfort zone. Results, he assures, will follow naturally when the foundation is built right.

Internet reacts

Many readers resonated deeply with Ankur Warikoo’s message. Some felt it was a much-needed reminder that it’s perfectly fine not to have everything figured out early in life. For others, his words hit hard because they realised how often people compare their Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20, forgetting that early failures and explorations are actually investments in building a strong foundation.

Several people highlighted how the pressure to “arrive early” often robs the joy of curiosity and discovery. They agreed that those formative years should be about resilience and learning, not just stacking résumés. Others related personally, sharing that their biggest lessons came from stumbles along the way, proving that setbacks are simply part of figuring things out and moving forward.