THE former CEO of a massive tech startup is now begging for an internship after selling his company for $975 million.
Vinay Hiremath is now searching for meaning in his life after he sold Loom, a software company he co-founded in 2015.
Hiremath penned an essay called “I am wealthy but unsure of my path” after selling his company for millions to the Australian tech leader Atlassian in 2023.
In his writing, Hiremath pondered on how his desire to emulate Elon Musk and engage in the workings of the “flawed” government prompted him to consider completing his studies in Hawaii.
The college dropout began his self-discovery journey post-Loom after he decided he didn’t want to work for the company that bought his startup.
Hiremath, 33, forfeited his $60 million bonus pay to avoid the politics of a new company taking over and dealing with intolerable coworkers.
The multi-millionaire set his sights on using his time to learn more about robotics, and “trying to be Elon.”
“In the first two weeks post wrapping up a demanding 10-year venture, I engaged in what any sensible individual would do and held discussions with over 70 investors and founders in robotics,” he expressed in his essay.
“I had been learning about robotics for quite some time and was positive I wanted to throw myself into giving computers arms and legs.”
However, after spending weeks planning to start his own robotics company, he deemed the idea too “cringe” and decided to travel with his girlfriend instead.
During the travels, he said nothing seemed right between him and his partner, leading to a massive breakup after “two years of unconditional love.”
“This whole chapter of Loom has created a complex web of internalized insecurities I must now work hard to disentangle and free myself from,” he wrote.
“If my ex is reading this. Thank you for everything. I am sorry I couldn’t be what you needed me to be.”
The breakup led Hiremath to climb a 6,800-meter peak in the Himalayan mountains, where he rediscovered the importance of continuously challenging himself.
“When I got back home and regaled my friends with my mountain stories, one of my friends joked that I should work for Elon and Vivek at DOGE and help America get off its current crash to defaulting on its own debt,” he wrote.
“So I reached out to some people and got in. After eight calls…I was added to a number of Signal groups and immediately put to work.”
Throughout November and December 2024, Hiremath said he took hundreds of calls with the country’s most intelligent people.
The tech wiz said he had a “blast” learning about the inner workings of the government and the power of urgency.
What is Loom?
Loom’s technology includes screen and camera recording, video editing, transcription, and the ability to share the recorded video link with others. The software can be used on a desktop or mobile app. The company started in 2015 and was sold to Atlassian in 2023.
“I started to realize that, although the mission of DOGE is extremely important, it wasn’t the most important thing I needed to focus on with urgency for myself,” he wrote.
One month after working at DOGE, Hiremath resigned and booked a one-way ticket to Hawaii to study physics.
In an interview with the Moneywise podcast, the tech entrepreneur said he’s now looking for a mechanical engineer internship and spends five hours a day studying physics.
“At one point, I had this grand answer about [my goals], but now I’m having fun,” he told host Sam Parr.
Hiremath said he wants to continue challenging himself outside of computer programming and push his abilities to the limit.
