‘I have nothing to lose’: Perplexity CEO says fear of failure is ‘the stupidest thing’ holding you back

As workers grapple with layoffs, AI disruption, and the constant pressure to prove their worth, self-doubt can feel like an unavoidable part of building a career. But Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of AI giant Perplexity, says that operating under the fear of failure only holds back success. He carved out his place in the trillion-dollar tech race by focusing on the thrill of winning. “I have nothing to lose,” Srinivas recently said on the 20CV with Harry Stebbings podcast. “I came from nothing. I never even imagined myself to be doing all this. So my life has already been extraordinary beyond any level of imagination.” In 2022, he cofounded the 30-year-old founded Perplexity, which has since reportedly raised at least $1.5 billion in total funding, its market cap estimated to be around $18 billion, or even potentially $20 billion, as of 2025. But growing up in Chennai, India, in a financially lower-middle-class family, he said that simply having a job was the bar for success. And the AI prodigy outshined in every measurable way, receiving a bachelor’s degree with a specialty in electrical engineering at the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The year after he graduated, Srinivas landed a research internship at OpenAI, then at Google DeepMind—the job most coveted by his family. So now, anything more is just the cherry on top of an already extraordinary career. “All we wanted to do was get a job in [sic] Google. Being an engineer at Google was considered a win,” the CEO continued. “I’m already doing remarkably well compared to that ambition we had as a family, so there’s really nothing for me to lose.” “That’s why anytime I try to act like I’m trying to avoid failure, I’m being on the defense, I remind myself that like that’s the stupidest thing to do,” Srinivas said. “It’s better to go all in and try your best. Be on the offense all the time. Attack, attack, attack.” Leaders find success by taking risks and getting co