Laid off from Amazon, woman starts chicken farm: ‘I have my product – the eggs’

‘Pursuing one of my favorite interests’

While Harshitha was struggling with the job search, her husband offered a different perspective. Instead of waiting for another company to hire her, he asked why she couldn’t build something of her own rather than managing someone else’s product.

The idea soon took a rather unusual turn. The couple built a small coop in their yard and bought six chicks. Unfortunately, all six eventually turned out to be roosters. Harshitha then persuaded her husband to get hens.

“I wanted to give my children proper eggs – not the store-bought ones, which I do not trust. And so we got chickens. We built a bigger coop. We got more chickens, and we started getting eggs,” she wrote.

“My kids started eating healthy eggs… more chickens, more eggs. And then I started selling eggs. And guess what? I started my own chicken farm. And now I’m selling eggs.”

For Harshitha, the new venture also came with an amusing connection to her old profession. She realised she was still doing product management — only this time, her product was eggs.

“I have my product – the eggs – and I’m selling them. I have a demand, and I’m trying to meet it with the supply. Looks like I’m literally doing some Product Management here while also pursuing one of my favorite interests. And the eggs taste delicious. When was the last time you tasted a delicious egg? I am now using Power BI for something I never thought I’d use it for.”

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‘A remarkable redirection’

Her unusual career pivot struck a chord on LinkedIn, with users applauding her for turning a difficult period into an opportunity.

One user even suggested that the tech industry needed new terms for people navigating layoffs and career changes. “I’m thinking we should coin “Tech Refugee” for those who’ve been laid off and are still struggling to get rehired or decide what next, and then “Tech Expat” for those who have pivoted into something complete different and aren’t really going back,” the user wrote.

Another called her story an “inspiring testimony of faith and resilience”. “You built your own product, met the demand, and became your own boss in the process.”

A third user highlighted the irony of Harshitha finding herself doing product management even after leaving the tech industry. “What a remarkable redirection, Maria. Sometimes the next chapter doesn’t arrive in the form of another title or company it starts with solving a small, very real problem in your own life. And the irony is wonderful: while looking for a Product Management opportunity, you ended up doing product management in its purest form identifying a need, building a solution, finding customers, and managing demand,” the user wrote.