Simi Shah
Humans of YJA: April 19, 2023
An interview was conducted with Simi Shah by the YJA Publications team, in which this story was then written up.
For better or for worse, I have a very low tolerance for doing things that I don’t feel serve my grander purpose. When I quit my job in private equity, people were like “Oh my gosh, you’re so brave,” and I was baffled by that comment. At the time, I didn’t feel very brave. It just points to the reality of golden handcuffs and “THE job out of college.” There’s nothing wrong with chasing wealth and prestige, but it’s likely not going to be enough. That’s why there’s no such thing as “THE job”, there’s the “perfect job” for you as an individual, but not the “perfect job” for everyone.
The finance world can be pretty intense and when I looked a couple of years up the ladder, I didn’t see myself loving it even at that level. I come from a very entrepreneurial family and wanted to own my purpose and space, and pursue my multitude of passions. I wanted to do something that fulfilled me every day and brought me joy. I wanted to take the time to pivot and not just jump to the first opportunity that arose — which of course comes with an immense amount of privilege. After I quit, my sister and mom were on my case about the next step, but my dad was super calm. Initially his calm stressed me out, and when I asked him why he was so calm he said, “When I was your age, 23-years-old, I immigrated to this country with $8 in my pocket. You are going to be just fine.” That stuck with me. I also learned that we have to remember that our parents do know best (to a degree), and our friends also know best (to a degree), but you know yourself better than anyone else.
When you make a career pivot, it often feels like a massive risk in that moment (and often it is), but it increases the pressure on you to make it “worth it.” However, there’s a better way of approaching it. You don’t need to know exactly what your next step is to make that leap, otherwise you may never take that step. It just needs to be directionally one step closer to where you want to go in that moment. Just look at me — I’ve taken a winding journey, but in every role, I’ve committed to being present because I knew there was a reason I was there and that it was leading me closer to where I was meant to be.
Since high school, I have always explored media as a hobbyist and as I left private equity, I knew I wanted to explore the intersection of entrepreneurship, early-stage venture, and media. I landed upon this media startup, based in New York City, that said they would hire me as an intern. We were a few months into the pandemic, and obviously as a recent grad, I was looking for full-time work, but I said “Sure, sign me up.” After a few months, they took a chance on me and hired me full-time.
I started my own platform, South Asian Trailblazers, around the same time. I always tell people who are trying to start something of their own: you don’t have to decide this day one but the minute you try to monetize something that you started as a passion project, you’re commoditizing it. Sometimes that takes the fun out of it and for some people it brings them a lot of joy, but you have to figure out where you sit on that spectrum, otherwise you’ll lose steam. Developing that balance for me has been interesting and I think I’ve found a healthy one but it definitely took me time to get there.
Obviously, these experiences are a few of the many that have started to shape my long-term career arc. As a community we are really good at reverse engineering everything — this person got here because they did x, y, and then z. The dots always connect backward, sure. But also, I believe every experience compounds even if it’s not explicitly related to the previous one. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without my experience in private equity. I am so grateful for it even though it’s not necessarily what I’m pursuing now. Markets impact every single industry and everything we do. It has absolutely translated into every role I’ve had and I wouldn’t be here without it. That’s just one example of how every experience compounds even if it’s not related to the last one. You as a person are the connection between all of your experiences because you are experiencing each one and serve as the inherent linkage. They all come together to shape the next opportunity and decision, consciously or subconsciously. That’s why my number one piece of advice is to increase your surface area, consume content, inform yourself as much as you can, and get outside of your comfort zone.
On the point of staying informed, I listen to a lot of podcasts on leadership and growth, and on Adam Grant’s podcast, he spoke about how a little bit of imposter syndrome is good for you because it forces you to level up. Your competence and confidence are often mismatched. So the slight lack of confidence makes you work a little bit harder at that competence. I think that’s a fundamental way to think about leadership and trailblazing.
I’m still working towards my dream job. I’m not sure what it is, but I believe it affords me the flexibility to pursue my multiple passions. We live in a world that tells us we have to choose one thing. I’m not so sure that’s true. I’m figuring that out right now, but everything has its time.
In terms of what’s next for me, this is my “Yes” year: diving into new experiences and jumping out of my comfort zone, my “New Chapter” year: starting business school this fall, and my “Growth” year: both personally and professionally. With Trailblazers, we’re planning on doing a lot more live events to bring our community together. Am I a South Asian trailblazer? I’ll leave that to you guys to answer.
South Asian Trailblazers is all about elevating the voices of leaders in our community. Our community is experiencing such a moment, let’s keep that momentum going.
— #HumansofYJA, 9: Simi Shah
The thoughts and opinions expressed in each post belong solely to the individual highlighted in the story. YJA does not endorse any of these viewpoints, but is simply using this project as a platform to showcase the diverse experiences of the youth in our community.
A special thanks to Charmi Shah and Saloni Nahar!
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