In a world where most dream of landing high-paying corporate jobs, Abhishek Kumar chose a completely different path, one that began with him working as a security guard for 14 hours a day. His goal? To deeply understand the real-life problems faced by guards before launching a tech solution.
Recently, industrialist Harsh Goenka shared Abhishek’s incredible journey on social media, calling it a story worth learning from. An alumnus of IIT-Kanpur and IIM-Ahmedabad, Abhishek once held a prestigious role as Vice President at Goldman Sachs. But instead of climbing further up the corporate ladder, he left it all behind to solve a problem few were paying attention to.
From Goldman Sachs to Gated Communities
Abhishek’s life took a major turn when he decided to become a co-founder of MyGate, a security and community management app used by over 4 million residents in 25,000+ housing societies across India. But before building the app, he did something very few would do, he put on a security guard’s uniform and worked a full 14-hour shift just like any other guard.
In a LinkedIn post, Abhishek wrote about how he followed guards, observed their routine, and even took over their duties to get first-hand experience. He saw how they handled more than 50 calls a day, maintained visitor records by hand, and still received complaints from residents. These experiences helped him understand that the problem wasn’t just about technology, it was about trust, design, and ease of use.
The Spark Behind MyGate
The idea behind MyGate came in 2016, when Vijay Arisetty, a Shaurya Chakra awardee and former Indian Air Force pilot, predicted a shift towards smart, secure, and connected residential societies in India. Along with Abhishek and Shreyans Daga (an IIT Guwahati and ISB alumnus), they formed the team that would launch MyGate.
Their aim was clear: make residential security smarter, simpler, and more efficient, not just for residents, but for the guards too.
Learning by Doing: Abhishek’s Unique Approach
What truly sets Abhishek apart is his hands-on approach. He believes in walking in the shoes of users to find solutions. Even after MyGate had grown, he continued shadowing guards to better understand their challenges.
In fact, nine years after the idea began, he once again worked a 12-hour shift, from 8 am to 8 pm, just to stay in touch with the ground reality.
MyGate Today: A Success Story Rooted in Empathy
Today, MyGate is one of India’s most trusted apps for community security and visitor management. It offers features like digital check-ins, visitor tracking, delivery management, and much more. The app has improved the lives of both residents and guards by reducing manual work and improving transparency.
Inputs from agencies
Recently, industrialist Harsh Goenka shared Abhishek’s incredible journey on social media, calling it a story worth learning from. An alumnus of IIT-Kanpur and IIM-Ahmedabad, Abhishek once held a prestigious role as Vice President at Goldman Sachs. But instead of climbing further up the corporate ladder, he left it all behind to solve a problem few were paying attention to.
In 2016, IIT grad & ex-Goldman exec Abhishek Kumar became a security guard working 14-hour shifts.
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) July 3, 2025
That experience of understanding pain points led to his creating MyGate: now in 25,000+ communities, 100M+ check-ins/month.
Moral: To build for others, first walk in their shoes. pic.twitter.com/7UZSScpRaD
From Goldman Sachs to Gated Communities
Abhishek’s life took a major turn when he decided to become a co-founder of MyGate, a security and community management app used by over 4 million residents in 25,000+ housing societies across India. But before building the app, he did something very few would do, he put on a security guard’s uniform and worked a full 14-hour shift just like any other guard.
In a LinkedIn post, Abhishek wrote about how he followed guards, observed their routine, and even took over their duties to get first-hand experience. He saw how they handled more than 50 calls a day, maintained visitor records by hand, and still received complaints from residents. These experiences helped him understand that the problem wasn’t just about technology, it was about trust, design, and ease of use.
The Spark Behind MyGate
The idea behind MyGate came in 2016, when Vijay Arisetty, a Shaurya Chakra awardee and former Indian Air Force pilot, predicted a shift towards smart, secure, and connected residential societies in India. Along with Abhishek and Shreyans Daga (an IIT Guwahati and ISB alumnus), they formed the team that would launch MyGate.
Their aim was clear: make residential security smarter, simpler, and more efficient, not just for residents, but for the guards too.
Learning by Doing: Abhishek’s Unique Approach
What truly sets Abhishek apart is his hands-on approach. He believes in walking in the shoes of users to find solutions. Even after MyGate had grown, he continued shadowing guards to better understand their challenges.
In fact, nine years after the idea began, he once again worked a 12-hour shift, from 8 am to 8 pm, just to stay in touch with the ground reality.
MyGate Today: A Success Story Rooted in Empathy
Today, MyGate is one of India’s most trusted apps for community security and visitor management. It offers features like digital check-ins, visitor tracking, delivery management, and much more. The app has improved the lives of both residents and guards by reducing manual work and improving transparency.
Inputs from agencies
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