S02E01 - The Delayed Quarter Life Crisis

Rutvi Dresswala
Sep 18
3 min read

It’s 9:15 PM CET (yes, I’m dropping time zones now—my network is scattered across the world - a low-key flex that I just wrapped up my INSEAD MBA). It’s a Monday night in Melun—a small town just outside Paris, where I am currently living my “European” life. I’ve just finished a deep-dive on an awesome company, created a virtual business card for a textile event, plugged in my laptop to charge for an AGI workshop, scrolled LinkedIn for the umpteenth time, and then paused to ask myself: HOW THE HELL DID I GET HERE?

Let’s rewind a little - because a lot has changed since the last time I wrote on this blog.

For starters, it’s no longer 2021, and I’m no longer the young, super-enthusiastic product manager, fresh out of college, riding the high of being good at her job and secretly believing she was God’s gift to the startup world.

So here’s a quick recap:

Dec 2021 → Age 23 | Product Manager at a growing startup | Launched my product across 4 platforms | Beyond excited | Fire in my stomach | Wanted to take on the world
Dec 2022 → Age 24 | Managing a team of 25+ | Building kickass products | Actively networking in India’s tech ecosystem | Confident | Felt like I had taken on the world
June 2023 → Age 25 | Became Senior Product & Growth Manager | Stepped back from IC tasks, focused on strategy & mentoring | Took the GMAT (decent score) | Happy, maybe too confident | Thought this was “it”
Jan 2024 → Age 25 | Azent hit turbulence, half the team was laid off | Tried staying strong as our awesome team broke apart | Cried at the office, at home, in the car | Felt like a failure
Dec 2024 → Age 26 | Moved to France | Halfway through my MBA at INSEAD | Confidence shaky | Anxiety and imposter syndrome at their peak | No clarity on what’s next
Sept 2025 (Today) → Age 27 | Graduated from INSEAD three months ago | Job hunting from Melun, hoping to build a career in Paris | Confidence… so-so | Clarity… non-existent | But still carrying the fire that sparked this blog at 22

So this is where we at: a 27-year-old former Product Leader from India with a master’s degree that the European tech ecosystem doesn’t quite know what to do with. I’ve traded my beloved Bombay for oh-so-chic Paris (well, technically Melun), armed with a questionable French A2 certificate - but with the same stubborn energy that made me start The Startup Life blog years ago.

I have no idea where life will take me next, but my only optimization function right now is learning - and that’s what this blog is going to be about.

The Startup Life – French Edition will cover:

The fun stuff: living in France without knowing French, the party life of an INSEAD MBA.
The serious stuff: building a portfolio, creating proof-of-work projects, navigating the French job market.
The emotional stuff: dealing with imposter syndrome, finding clarity when everything feels uncertain.

Above all, I want to write about real things and stay vulnerable. Because in this age of AI and endless “insights,” I know I’m not the only one craving something real and human.

If any of this resonates - or if you just enjoy watching me possibly make a fool of myself - then follow along. I promise to keep it short, fun, and honest.

Until the next one: merci beaucoup, au revoir, and bonne journée/bonsoir (my French is getting there, you guys!).

Fin.