Are you currently building your dream… or someone has hired you to build theirs?

Here’s the truth: if you’re an employee, you’re building someone else’s dream.

Hi! I’m Mukesh Pandey, founder of a startup incubator called “Uptinker”. We help employees become founders. And we make it happen fast, leveraging the power of exponential technologies like Cloud, AI, Robotics, Blockchain, VR/AR, and Quantum Computing!

If you are an employee, then every day, you pour your energy, creativity, and problem-solving skills into growing someone else’s company. Sure, you earn a paycheck, but while you’re working hard, the founder’s equity is growing exponentially. And when the time is right? They can sell the company for several times its annual revenue—sometimes amounting to millions or even billions of dollars—and walk away with a fortune. What about you? You can’t sell your job. You can’t multiply your wealth like that. In a job, you’re trading time for money. But time is limited. That means the wealth you can create for yourself is limited too.

But here’s the kicker: it’s not just about the money. Let’s talk about fulfillment. Most people in a job don’t put their whole self into their work. You can’t, because it’s not yours. You clock in, you clock out, and you trade your time for a paycheck. Over time, this separation between your life and your work creates a disconnect—a sense of unfulfillment that no amount of money can fix. But as a founder? It’s completely different. Founders pour their life into their work because it’s their creation, their dream. And that creates a feeling of fulfillment that transcends the outcome—whether it’s success or failure. Founders know they’ve given it their all, and that’s a kind of satisfaction most employees never get to experience.

But there’s more to it than even that. Let’s talk about growth—both external and internal. You see, we’re all here on this earth chasing external achievements, whether it’s climbing the corporate ladder, earning more money, or solving bigger problems. But what we’re really seeking is internal growth through our external work. The journey of the founder is one of the fastest ways to grow internally. Here’s why: life mirrors itself. Every challenge you face in the external world builds something inside you. When you solve tough problems, you build resilience. When you overcome obstacles, you gain confidence. When you navigate complexity, you deepen your self-awareness. As an employee, your work is often one-dimensional. Most jobs are about “staying in your lane.” You’re expected to focus on one task, one role, and leave the rest to someone else. But as a founder? Work is multidimensional. Founders wear many hats. They’re responsible for employees, customers, investors, and every other stakeholder. They face challenges that demand creativity, adaptability, and leadership—all at the same time. And here’s the beautiful part: this multidimensional external work drives rapid internal growth. You grow faster. You become stronger, more self-aware, and more resilient. And over time, this internal growth helps you reach your full potential. That’s the magic of being a founder. It’s not just about wealth or fulfillment—it’s about becoming who you’re truly meant to be.

But if you’re stuck in a job right now, let me tell you this: it’s not your fault. The entire system—our schools, our society—is designed to prepare you for employment, not entrepreneurship. From the time we’re kids, we’re taught to follow rules, fit into a box, and build someone else’s dream—not our own. Think back to kindergarten. Remember when the teacher asked, “Who here is an artist?” Every hand went up. Every child believed they were creative, capable, and full of potential. This is the mindset of a founder. But by fifth grade? Only a few hands went up. And by tenth grade? Almost none. No wonder why so many choose the employee path after graduating. A lot of random subjects that are taught and tested in school make you doubt yourself. Moreover, schools focus on tools over problems. It conditions us to believe that mastery of tools is the key to success. Instead, they should be teaching the problem first—then introducing the tools as a means to solve it. This is the mindset of founders. They spend most of their time obsessing over the problem they want to solve, rather than the tools they need to solve it. This is why so many people feel unprepared to think like a founder—they were never taught how. But let me tell you something: you are more capable than you think. In fact, many of you are more capable than the founders you work for. Your hard work, ideas, and contributions are the reason your companies grow, scale, and even reach unicorn status—valuations of billions of dollars. And yet, when times get tough, who gets laid off? You do. Meanwhile, the founder walks away with all the upside.

Enough is enough, don’t you think? It’s time to stop building someone else’s dream and start building your own. It’s time to crack the code of entrepreneurship. It’s time to make the identity shift—from employee to founder.

Come build your startup at Uptinker!