A former Amazon employee has turned repeated job rejections after her March 2026 layoff into an unexpected new career. Maria Harshitha started a chicken farm, selling eggs while applying her product management skills to running her growing business.
A former Amazon employee's journey from being laid off to starting her own chicken farm has caught attention on LinkedIn, offering an unusual yet inspiring perspective on career setbacks, entrepreneurship and finding a new direction. Maria Harshitha, who said she was laid off by Amazon in March 2026, initially believed she would quickly find another job. However, after months of applications and repeated rejections, she eventually found herself building a completely different career around raising chickens and selling eggs.
From Amazon Layoff To A New Beginning
Sharing her experience on LinkedIn, Maria Harshitha said she smiled when her manager informed her about the layoff and reminded herself that the same faith that had helped her get the Amazon job would guide her towards her next opportunity.
She described her Amazon role as a blessing for herself and her family, particularly because it allowed her to work from home. After losing the job, she began applying for positions, reaching out to seniors and family members for referrals and exploring different opportunities.
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However, the job search did not go as she had expected.
"Rejection after rejection," she wrote, explaining that she had initially believed she would be able to move to another company relatively easily. That, however, did not happen.
From Product Management To Chicken Farming
Maria said her career had largely revolved around products, which sparked her interest in product management. She wanted to upskill herself and pursue the field further, but her plans did not materialise as expected.
Her husband, Khanishka David, encouraged her to consider becoming her own boss. He suggested ideas, pushed her to think creatively and encouraged her to build a product of her own.
That eventually led to an unexpected experiment.
The couple built a chicken coop and brought home six chicks. Maria continued applying for jobs while taking care of them. There was just one problem: all six chicks turned out to be roosters.
She then pushed her husband to get hens because she wanted to provide her children with what she considered healthier, home-produced eggs rather than store-bought ones.
The family expanded the coop, brought in more chickens and eventually began collecting eggs regularly.
When Product Management Became Real Life
What started as a family effort gradually turned into a business. Maria began selling the eggs and eventually started her own chicken farm.
She described the experience as an unexpected way of applying her product management skills in real life. Her product is now eggs, she has customers demanding them, and she is working to match that demand with supply.
She also joked about using Power BI for something she never expected to use it for.
The new challenges are also very different from those she faced during her corporate career.
"You know what my problems are now, they are bandicoots and snakes. Not an impromptu meeting on a weekend. Not a Chime call. Not a Quip sheet."
Maria said the eggs taste delicious and asked her followers: "When was the last time you tasted a delicious egg??"
Social Media Reacts To Her Career Pivot
Maria's story received supportive reactions from LinkedIn users, with many praising her resilience, faith and willingness to explore a completely different path after losing her corporate job.
One user commented: "'I'm thinking we should coin "Tech Refugee" for those who've been laid off and are still struggling to get rehired or decide what next, and then "Tech Expat" for those who have pivoted into something complete different and aren't really going back."
Another user wrote: "From layoff to building your own chicken farm and doing product management in real life. God's redirection is beautiful. Rooting for you. Would love to connect here on LinkedIn!"
A third user commented: "Such a beautiful story of faith and resilience. More growth and grace as you continue this journey."
A Different Kind Of Career Success
Maria ended her post by expressing gratitude for what she described as a redirection in her life, writing, "All things happen for the good of those who believe in Christ. Grateful for the redirection."
Her journey from an Amazon layoff to running a chicken farm highlights how an unexpected career setback can sometimes lead to an entirely different path. What began as an attempt to provide her children with fresh eggs has evolved into a small business, giving Maria a new product, a new customer base and, unexpectedly, another opportunity to put her product management skills to use.
