A late-night message sent when he was just 17 turned into an opportunity that Aditya Bansal says changed the direction of his life. While preparing for the JEE in 2021, Bansal was also exploring ways to make money online. Years later, he says that first opportunity helped him build a career that eventually took his earnings to ₹1 crore by the age of 22.
From JEE aspirant to young freelancer
At the time, Bansal was expected to follow a familiar route: crack the JEE, study engineering and eventually get a job. But he was increasingly interested in entrepreneurship, self-improvement and online businesses.
He had already tried graphic design and website development, but neither worked out.
“I had been trying to make money for a while by then. Tried graphic design, website development, and a few other things. Everything failed,” Bansal recalled.
One night, after watching a video by entrepreneur and podcaster Raj Shamani about income streams, Bansal decided to turn the ideas into a Twitter thread. He spent hours writing it in a Google Doc before sending it directly to Shamani.
The DM went out at 10:41 pm.
At 3:53 am, Shamani responded.
“Let me upload this, and if it works out, I will hire you for my Twitter threads, cool?”
His first paid writing opportunity
Bansal's thread received around 1,200 likes. Although he considered it far from his best work, Shamani saw potential in the teenager and hired him.
“I was 17. With no degree. No experience. Nothing to show. He still bet on me. He hired the 17-year-old kid,” Bansal wrote.
He went on to write five or six threads for Shamani. Since Bansal did not have a bank account, he was paid through Amazon gift cards.
But the experience gave him something more important than his first payment. Shamani provided material and sources, included him in the work and even remembered personal details.
“He even wished me a happy birthday. He noticed the small things,” Bansal said.
A testimonial opened another door
The collaboration eventually ended when Shamani needed a full-time team. However, he left Bansal with a testimonial.
That testimonial helped Bansal land his first retainer client and gave him the confidence to continue pursuing independent work.
Bansal says he has since worked with more than 45 founders and eventually reached ₹1 crore in earnings by 22.
Looking back, he believes the biggest value of that first opportunity was the confidence it created.
“Thank you, @rajshamani. That DM is still the best thing I ever wrote,” he concluded.
The story resonated widely on X, with readers describing it as a powerful example of cold outreach and a reminder that one opportunity can sometimes alter an entire career trajectory.
