Google Exec Walks Away from ₹9.3 Crore Paycheck, Says ‘AI Equity Is the Real Upside’

Former Google executive Yousuf Imran left a $1M job to launch Mangosteen Studio, an AI startup. Driven by FOMO and equity potential, he traded corporate security for building sales tools. 

A former Google account executive, Yousuf Imran, has revealed why he walked away from a nearly $1 million annual paycheck to pursue his own AI venture. Despite the financial security of his role, Imran said the lure of equity in the booming AI sector proved irresistible.

High Earnings at Google

Imran joined Google in 2020 after a 15-year career in sales. His role involved helping clients solve business challenges using Google’s AI and machine-learning technologies. While his base salary was about $170,000, commissions drove his total income to nearly $986,000 last year.

He explained that Google’s compensation was strong, but compared to the equity packages offered by companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, the upside was limited. “Google pays very well, but the equity packages at OpenAI and Anthropic are in a different universe,” he noted.

Imran admitted feeling “FOMO” as AI firms offered stock grants with life-changing potential. He reasoned that if equity was the true path to wealth in the AI era, it made sense to build his own company rather than rely on corporate packages.

This thinking led him to establish Mangosteen Studio, an AI product lab focused on go-to-market tools for account executives. His thesis: after two decades in quota-carrying sales roles, he wanted to create the tools he wished he had.

Roots and Hustle

Imran’s journey is shaped by his immigrant background. Born in Bangladesh, he moved to Queens at age five. He credits his success to what he calls the “immigrant hustle” — the belief that hard work is the only path to results.

Curiosity also set him apart. He invested time in understanding clients’ businesses and mastering AI technologies, which made him a trusted advisor. Beyond work, he experimented with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, building side projects that deepened his interest in AI.

From Side Projects to Startup

Initially, Imran’s AI experiments were small, but as tools improved, his projects grew more ambitious. Over 18 months, he built several apps and began seriously considering entrepreneurship.

Layoffs at Google further influenced his decision. Seeing talented colleagues lose jobs highlighted the fragility of corporate security. For Imran, betting on himself became the logical next step.

In April, six years after joining Google, Imran resigned to launch Mangosteen Studio. His move reflects a broader trend: high-earning professionals leaving established tech giants to chase equity-driven opportunities in AI.