Siddharth Saxena, co-founder of Merlin AI, an AI-powered browser extensionMerlin AI, went from a small town called Alwar in Rajasthan, India to building one of the most popular AI browser extensions on the planet. Along the way, the IIT Kanpur grad dropped some real gems about what it actually takes to build something from scratch.
Here are five legit lessons from Siddharth Saxena’s journey.
Stack Skills Before Starting Up
After graduating from IIT Kanpur with a CS degree in 2019, Siddharth Saxena didn’t rush into entrepreneurship. He spent years as a machine learning engineer at Envestnet, Yodlee, Wadhwani AI, Aalto University in Finland, and Jumio Corporation in Canada.
His experience across different organizations helped him build technical skills before starting a company. That deep technical foundation is exactly what made Merlin AI possible. The lesson here is straightforward, build real skills first, then build the company.
Fail Forward Until Something Clicks
Siddharth Saxena and his co-founders Pratyush Rai and Sirsendu Sarkar didn’t nail it on the first try. They went through “various ideas and iterations” before landing on Merlin AI, a 26-in-1 AI browser extension with multi-model access and content creation in 128 languages.
Most people quit after the first failed idea. The Merlin AI team kept going. That persistence is the difference.
Timing Plus Preparation Equals Everything
Merlin AI launched in 2022, just as the generative AI wave was gaining tremendous momentum. But timing alone doesn’t cut it. Siddharth Saxena’s years of ML expertise meant the team could move faster, build smarter, and ship a better product than competitors who were just jumping on the trend.
The result? 750,000 installs in six months, 95% organic growth, and ~900,000 users by 2026.
Ditch the Scarcity Mindset
This is lowkey the most important lesson Siddharth Saxena dropped in his interview with content creator Viraj Ala. Growing up in India with limited resources creates a “scarcity mindset,” deep risk aversion, fear of failure, and “family expectations and fear of financial loss can influence career decisions.
His advice? Shift to an “abundance mindset.” Take calculated risks. Stop protecting what little exists and start building toward something bigger.
“Overnight Success” Is Never Overnight
Siddharth Saxena went viral for making “$8 million in a single day.” But that number almost certainly refers to a funding event that crystallized his equity stake in Merlin AI, now valued at ~$50 million. The “overnight” millionaire moment at 26 was actually the result of 7+ years of education, career-building, failed startups, and relentless iteration.
When asked if his teenage self would have believed this outcome, Siddharth Saxena said: “Absolutely not.”
Siddharth Saxena’s journey from Alwar to a $50 million AI startup proves his journey highlights the value of learning, adapting, and staying patient. Keep building, keep learning, keep going, and the moment eventually shows up.
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