Laid Off as an Engineering Leader at Meta to Doing an MBA in Solopreneurship
How Pramoda Vyasarao turned a layoff into a two-year degree in building himself!
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Atono.
How Atono kept planning predictable across different team workflows
One team ran two-week sprints. Another worked in Kanban. Leadership needed a clear answer to what would ship next quarter.
The problem wasn’t methodology. It was making planning work across all of them at once.
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When teams should have autonomy – and when constraints actually help
A cross-team planning checklist that works whether teams use Scrum, Kanban, or something else
Real examples from PagerDuty, La Redoute, and Atono’s own teams
The early signs your current approach isn’t working
If you’re responsible for delivery across multiple teams, this guide shows how to keep planning grounded in reality instead of rituals.
Thanks to Atono for sponsoring this newsletter. Let’s get back to this week’s thought!
Intro
Working with Pramoda on this article made me realize that we have many similarities in our journeys. We both started as engineers and then grew to become engineering leaders, and later turned to an entrepreneurship route (unexpectedly).
And then we have many similarities in our entrepreneurship journeys, as we both do coaching, teach a course, and also write a newsletter + I am also writing a book as well → more on this soon!
Really loved the insights shared by Pramoda and his honesty → you’ll definitely love the read, especially if you are thinking of potentially going the entrepreneurship route someday, or you are already on it!
Let’s introduce our guest author and get started.
Introducing Pramoda Vyasarao
Pramoda Vyasarao is a leadership and communication coach with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry. In his career, he grew from an engineer all the way to Director at Oracle and later also worked at Meta as a Head of Data Engineering.
After his MBA in solopreneurship, he is now back in the IC role as a PM at Google, working on Google Cloud. Today, he is sharing his interesting solopreneurship journey.
This is our third collab with Pramoda, and you can read his story growing from a shy engineer to Director at Oracle here:
And also his insights on what to do to break through the next level after being a senior engineer:
Let’s start. Pramoda, over to you!
The Day My Safety Net Disappeared
Meta laid off 11,000 people in January 2023. My position was eliminated as part of this. I received eight weeks of severance and eight months of health insurance as part of the settlement. It was totally unexpected, and I didn’t see it coming.
The first few days were a blur. I remember sitting at my desk, staring at my laptop, trying to make sense of what had just happened. One moment, I had meetings, projects, and deadlines; the next, it all vanished.
People often describe layoffs as “a business decision,” but when it happens to you, it feels deeply personal. My professional identity had been tied to Meta, and suddenly, I wasn’t sure what to introduce myself as anymore.
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
— Albert Einstein
The Question That Changed My Future
I took a two-month break to reflect on next steps. I traveled to India for a family event, which gave me quiet time to think and explore my options. During this period, a thought crossed my mind:
What if I take a two-year break and do something on my own?
I had more than a decade of experience at Oracle in leadership coaching and facilitating workshops. I had even written an article earlier sharing parts of that journey. The more I reflected on that question, the more excited I became.
At first, it sounded risky and even irresponsible. But the more I explored the idea, the more it made sense. After two years, I could always return to a job while continuing to run my coaching company. That way, I could build a strong foundation for a sustainable business.
The decision didn’t happen overnight. For weeks, I debated whether I was being bold or foolish. I spoke to mentors, close friends, and family members. Some warned me against “wasting two years,” while others encouraged me to treat it as an opportunity for experimentation. Slowly, the excitement began to outweigh the fear.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
— Wayne Gretzky
Why I Could Risk Everything (and Still Sleep at Night)
Some readers may find inspiration in my story. I want to highlight five practical things that helped me make a firm decision to take this two-year journey:
I didn’t need a visa to stay in the United States.
I could live on my savings and RSUs for two years (without any income).
I have a wonderful wife who was willing to support me.
I had the discipline to live below my means.
I don’t attach my self-worth to a job title or a company name.
Having these factors in place gave me confidence. Without them, I doubt I would have had the courage to take such a leap.
Planting My First Flag as a Founder
On February 28, 2023, I registered an LLC in California. It was a thrilling experience to register my own company and receive the state-issued certificate of registration.
Over the next four weeks, I set up payment processing and invoicing and launched my website. Now I was ready for business. I just needed products to sell. I’ll walk you through the products I’ve built over the past two years.
Learning:
Starting a coaching business is surprisingly easy in the United States.
There are numerous tax benefits to having a registered business.
First Product: One-on-one coaching
This was the easiest place to begin. I had done this at Oracle and Meta as an organizational leader. I didn’t need preparation or certification. At Oracle, I led an organization of 75 people and served as site leader for a 200-person team in India.
Here’s how I found my first coaching clients:
I offered two free 60-minute coaching sessions to 30 people.
Most already knew me from my previous jobs.
Others reached out through LinkedIn after seeing my daily posts.
Result?
Seven people decided to become paying clients! That gave me immediate cash flow within 30 days. Most of these engagements lasted 3–6 months, with one 60-minute session per week.
I’ll never forget the first person who said, “Yes, I’ll sign up.” It wasn’t just a business win, it was validation that the years I had invested in leadership and communication could stand on their own outside a company logo.
At the same time, I also signed up for a 12-month coaching engagement with Dr. Eric Maisel, who has forty years of experience in coaching. Eric gave me powerful ideas for structuring my coaching packages. That experience reinforced a simple yet accurate: everyone needs a coach.
Learning:
People often confuse coaching with therapy or mentoring.
Not everyone is committed to change and growth.
One-on-one coaching requires significant energy and isn’t scalable.
When a client is committed, the engagement can be transformational.
Asking hard questions and challenging clients is a critical skill.
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, so you can become who you want to be.”
— Tom Landry
Cohort Courses
Within two months, I realized one-on-one coaching doesn’t scale. It’s a high-ticket service and not accessible to many who aren’t at the executive level. My audience in tech was predominantly senior ICs and mid-level managers, so I needed a new model.
That’s when I thought of online cohort courses. I had run workshops for more than a decade at Oracle, so I leveraged that experience to design a 4-week online course on Maven, titled Communication Engineering. I launched my first cohort in September 2023, six months after starting my business. Seventeen people from four countries joined.
The first live session was nerve-wracking. I logged in early, heart racing, only to have Zoom crash five minutes in. For a split second, I thought I had ruined everything. But people stayed, we rebooted, and we laughed about it together. In hindsight, that technical glitch broke the ice and made the group feel more connected.
Over time, I added three more cohort courses: Building Executive Slides, Storytelling, and Life Strategy.
Now I had five products: one-on-one coaching and four live courses.
Learning:
I enjoy researching and creating courses. It feels natural to me.
Thanks to Toastmasters, I love teaching groups even more than one-on-one coaching.
Cohort courses are scalable, and the per-hour value is far higher than my salary at Meta or Oracle.
Once a course is built, it’s a rinse-and-repeat model.
People learn better in groups. The community effect inspires effort and change.
Digital Courses
To scale further, I converted all four courses into digital products. To save time, I hired contractors to record my live sessions and professionally edit them. The energy of a live class is different, and I wanted that to come through in the recordings.
This allowed people worldwide to afford my courses and test them before joining live programs.
I was thrilled when someone in Germany purchased my first digital course just three months after launch.
Learning:
With a large enough audience, you don’t need fancy landing pages to sell courses.
People buy courses because they like your content on LinkedIn or newsletters.
Only about 20% of people complete digital courses; most stop after 30%.
It feels great to wake up and see sales from Europe or Asia.
Working with contractors on Upwork and Fiverr is an essential skill.
Publishing a Book
During a coaching session with Eric, I mentioned one of my life goals: publishing a book. He had published over 60 books and helped me develop an outline. His advice was simple but powerful: write a chunk every morning.
So, I wrote for 45 minutes each morning. After 100 days, I had a manuscript.
I then worked with Scott Allan, an expert in self-publishing with forty books to his name. He guided me on cover design, endorsements, and strategies for creating a best-seller. After nine months of consistent work, I released Beyond Your Limits on May 30, 2024, coinciding with my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
The book is available in Kindle, paperback, hardcover, and audio formats. And my idol, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, endorsed it. If you are familiar with his work, you’ll understand why that meant the world to me.
Learning:
Writing a book demands discipline. Only 2% of people who start ever finish.
Self-publishing is hard but incredibly satisfying. Distribution is the real challenge.
Building my own audience is crucial for sales and reach.
Books are excellent lead magnets. I offer my audiobook for free to create trust.
Royalties from Amazon and Spotify add up. It’s a volume game.
Being an author gives you a new identity. Even though I didn’t change, people see me differently.
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
— Stephen King
Newsletter
I started posting on LinkedIn in March 2023. Later, in a consulting session with Justin Welsh, he convinced me to start a weekly newsletter. The biggest benefit? Owning the audience list and reaching readers directly.
In June 2024, I launched Beyond Your Limits, a free weekly newsletter. I’ve published consistently every week since then. Occasionally, I promote digital products and live courses in my posts.
At first, hitting “publish” felt vulnerable. I worried whether people would like my writing or if the subscriber list would stay stuck at a small number. Over time, I realized consistency mattered more than perfection. The act of writing weekly sharpened my ideas, and readers began replying with their own stories.
Learning:
I don’t need to create new content; repurposing works.
People like actionable insights, not just reflections.
AI tools help refine my writing; when I combine them with my voice, it amplifies quality.
Partnering with other authors on guest posts helps grow reach.
Whenever I judge my writing, I remind myself: Some will. Some won’t. So what? Say wow—I wrote something.
“Your job is to get your ideas out there, imperfect but alive.”
— Seth Godin
Value Ladder
After 18 months as a solopreneur, I realized I wasn’t just building products, I was building a value ladder for Changesmith Coaching.
At first, I didn’t notice. But gradually, I saw a pattern emerge: free content on LinkedIn, followed by the newsletter, then digital courses, then live cohorts, and finally, coaching.
People could enter at any level and climb as far as they wanted.
Learning:
New products can always be added as I learn more about my audience.
I stopped teaching four live courses once they became digital; now I teach just one course twice a year.
I paused one-on-one coaching to focus on group programs.
Additional rungs on the ladder are possible: in-person workshops, weekend retreats, and keynotes.
I can also create blended programs for tech companies, combining group coaching with one-on-one.
Returning to Tech, But Not the Same Person
From the start, I knew my break would last two years. When that time ended, I began exploring opportunities with Google, Oracle, Apple, Meta, and Pure Storage. After several conversations, referrals, and interview loops, I accepted a role at Pure Storage as Head of Marketing Systems and Data Strategy.
Returning to corporate life felt different. I no longer defined myself by a title. I carried the mindset of an entrepreneur, comfortable with ambiguity, focused on impact, and willing to take calculated risks.
I noticed the shift in daily interactions. I was more patient in difficult conversations and more intentional in my communication. What I once saw as time away now feels like training that fuels how I work today.
At mid-forty, I still have the energy for another run in tech. My coaching business doesn’t need to replace a tech salary overnight; it deserves time to grow. The long road is not only acceptable; it’s the wiser path.
I trust that within five years I can step fully into the role of educator and coach. In the age of AI, human skills matter more than ever. That glimpse of my future, my fifties and sixties, excites me. I feel grounded, grateful, and ready to make a larger contribution.
Your Turn to Go Beyond Your Limits
I studied English at age 11. It was my third language. At 23, as a young engineer, I struggled to communicate my ideas. I come from a small town in India with no pedigree of elite institutions. And yet, here I am, teaching communication and leadership to brilliant people from big tech companies.
I can feel like an imposter or a poster child for possibilities. It’s always a choice. I choose the latter. If I can do this, imagine what you can do.
If you ever feel like you’re not good enough, pick up my books. Let them be the wind at your back. Let your spirit rise.
You’ll be inspired to become so good that they can’t ignore you. I know you can.
I look forward to hearing your stories.
Share them, pay it forward, and keep going beyond your limits!
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.”
— Howard Thurman
Last words
Special thanks to Pramoda for sharing his insights with us! Make sure to check him out on LinkedIn and also check out his book Beyond Your Limits.
I definitely recommend the book. If you’re looking to grow in your career, it would be a great read for you!
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Such an inspirational story of believing in yourself and not giving up
Inspiring story. But after reading the whole article I didnt understand what "his MBA in solopreneurship" referred to. Did he actually do an MBA? At what institution?