Finance Professional Builds Skills-First Hiring Platform

In 2016, I walked away from a stable corporate job in finance to launch a startup in an industry I'd never worked in: recruitment tech. Everyone thought I was out of my mind including me, at times. I didn't have a background in HR or SaaS. What I did have was a front-row seat to how broken and biased hiring systems could be, and an idea for how to fix them.

The turning point came after watching yet another talented candidate get rejected based on a resume instead of their real skills. I realized the problem wasn't the people, it was the process. I didn't want to just complain about it. I wanted to rebuild it.

So I took the risk. I left my job. I invested my own money. I started from zero.

The first year was brutal. I wasn't a tech founder by trade, and I made all the early mistakes: overbuilding features, targeting the wrong customers, hiring too fast. But I kept learning, kept testing, and most importantly, kept listening. Listening to recruiters, to candidates, to hiring managers who were just as frustrated as I was.

That's how Testlify was born, an AI-powered skills assessment platform designed to help companies hire for what actually matters: ability, not pedigree. And when our first customers told us it was saving them hours of work and helping them find better-fit candidates, I knew we were on the right path.

Fast forward to today: Testlify is used by companies in over 50 countries. We've grown to a team of 80+, hit $1M+ ARR, and helped hundreds of teams make more confident, fairer hiring decisions.

But the biggest win isn't the revenue, it's knowing we built something real, from scratch, that solves a real problem.

What I learned: The boldest move you'll ever make is betting on yourself. Especially when there's no blueprint. Especially when no one else sees it yet.

People often wait for the "perfect time" to make their big move. But here's the truth: bold moves are never comfortable. If it feels safe, it's probably not bold enough.

My advice to others: You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to believe that your reason is stronger than your fear. Start where you are. Learn as you go. And don't let imposter syndrome keep you from building the thing only you can build.

Abhishek Shah, Founder, Testlify