After earning nearly $1 million in a single year at Google, Yousuf Imran made a decision that surprised many. The ex-account executive walked away from one of the world’s biggest technology companies, saying fears about layoffs and missing out on the AI boom pushed him to start his own business.Speaking in an as-told-to essay to the Business Insider, Imran said that Google offered excellent pay, but the rapid rise of artificial intelligence made him rethink his future.“I earned nearly $1 million last year as an account executive at Google, but I felt some “FOMO” around the AI boom.”He added: “I think most people at Google would tell you the same if they were being candid.”Imran explained that salaries at AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic also influenced his thinking.He said: “Google pays very well, but the equity packages at OpenAI and Anthropic are in a different universe. A three- or four-year stock grant at one of these companies can be life-changing money.”Eventually he began asking himself whether, instead of working for someone else’s company, the equity should be in his own business.Imran grew up in Queens after moving to New York from Bangladesh at the age of five. He entered sales because he believed success depended more on ability than qualifications. After around 15 years in sales, he joined Google in 2020, helping customers use the company’s AI and machine learning products to solve business problems.His base salary last year was about $170,000, commissions made up the bulk of his earnings, taking his total W-2 income to roughly $986,000.Reflecting on his success, he said: “I think part of my success came from what I call the immigrant hustle. My family moved to New York when I was five years old from Bangladesh, and I grew up believing that if you don’t put in the work, you won’t get results.”He also credited his curiosity for helping him stand out. According to Imran, he spent years learning about his customers’ businesses and gaining a deep understanding of AI and machine learning so he could offer practical solutions.Away from work, his interest in AI continued to grow. He spent weekends experimenting with tools including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, initially creating small personal projects before moving on to more ambitious AI applications.At the same time, uncertainty over Google’s repeated rounds of layoffs made him question his long-term future at the company.“I also thought about my job security at Google, given the company’s layoffs in prior years. What struck me about the recent layoff rounds at Google was that they hit genuinely talented people. The uncertainty of a potential layoff was another input into my decision to bet on myself.”In April, after six years at Google, Imran left to launch Mangosteen Studio, an AI product lab that develops sales tools for account executives.“The thesis is simple: I spent 20 years quota-carrying at some of the biggest companies, so I’m building the tools I wish I’d had.”Before resigning, he made sure he was financially prepared. He set aside $200,000 to fund the business for two years and another $150,000 to cover his mortgage and personal expenses. His aim was to only use his own money for the company for as long as possible rather than seeking outside investment.Today, Imran runs the business as a solo founder with support from a small team of engineers, marketers and contractors. He said many sales professionals have already tried the company’s AI tools free of charge, giving him confidence that the business is solving real problems.Looking back, he believes AI is creating new opportunities for people willing to take risks.“Ultimately, I recognized that leaving Google meant leaving a lot of things behind, both financially and professionally. But my confidence and domain expertise made me feel like this was the right moment to take the risk.”
