From Google Engineer to AI Founder: Aashna Doshi Takes the Leap
Aashna Doshi, 23, resigned from her role as a software engineer at Google in May 2025 to go all-in on her AI startup, Bounty.
"At Google, I co-hosted the '0 to 1' podcast, which helped me network with senior professionals and gave me the confidence to leave."
Doshi’s path to the tech giant was not a straight line. In February 2024, she rejected a Google offer in California, holding out for a position in New York City. Her persistence paid off, and she accepted a software engineering role there just two months later.
While at Google, Doshi co-founded and co-hosted the "0 to 1" podcast in early 2025 alongside her future co-founder. The show, which features interviews with founders, engineers, and executives, amassed over 100,000 YouTube views within its first year. She credits the podcast with building the network and confidence necessary to leave a secure corporate role.
Her startup, Bounty, is an outcome-based AI marketplace. It is currently pre-launch and not generating any revenue. Doshi described her founder salary as a fraction of her previous Google compensation.
She characterized her decision as a willingness to forgo financial security to pursue a perceived opportunity in AI.