Sameer Maheshwari, HealthKart’s Founder & CEO, recently wrote a very personal essay about how his upbringing in a middle-class Indian family influenced not only his personality but also his entrepreneurial life.

His post resonated with thousands because it captured something timeless: the quiet superpowers middle-class life instills in us, grit, hunger, frugality, resilience, which become invaluable in building businesses.

Maheshwari writes, “Thank God I was born and raised in a middle-class family in India! There was no legacy, no advantage, and most importantly, no safety net. If we didn’t perform, there was no fallback option. But what we had was far more powerful, strong values, hunger to achieve, and resilience to face any hardship.”

The Lessons You Can’t Buy

For Maheshwari, one of the most defining memories from childhood was playing cricket in the streets, but without a bat of his own. “We played cricket for hours every day. But we didn’t get our own bat on day one,” he recalls. “We had to earn it through months of showing up, proving ourselves. Buying that bat was a milestone, a reward, a motivation. And more importantly, a life lesson: anything worth having must be earned.”

That sentiment, that everything must be earned, nothing is owed, is a hallmark of middle-class life. And it builds a mindset that no textbook or MBA can replicate.

Maheshwari summed it up beautifully:

• “Value of Money: Every ₹ can go a long way.”
• “Need vs Want: That eating out is a treat, not a routine.”
• “Saving First: You never spend ahead of yourself.”
• “Gratitude: You appreciate what you have rather than dwell on what you don’t.”
• “Comparison: You are constantly measured against peers, and must learn to convert that pressure into internal strength, not insecurity.”

Even now, Maheshwari admits, “I hesitate to spend on expensive shoes. I check every site, compare deals, and hunt for coupons. Not because I can’t afford them but because the middle-class OS still runs deep.”

Middle Class Mindset : Why This Matters for Founders

Entrepreneurship is a lot like growing up middle-class: there are no guarantees, no shortcuts, and no fallback. You build from scratch, you take risks, you live frugally, and you keep moving forward despite setbacks.

For founders like Maheshwari, those early lessons became an edge:

• Resilience to face hardship.
• Hunger to achieve more than what you started with.
• Frugality and resourcefulness when funds are tight.
• Empathy for others struggling along the way.

As he reflects: “Sometimes I wonder if I had received too much too early, would I have had the same drive? The grind gave me direction. The friction built resilience. It made me entrepreneurial long before I even knew what that word meant.”

In a world where excess and entitlement have the potential to blunt ambition, the middle-class mentality keeps founders humble, keen, and intent on building value, not simply pursuing vanity.

The Grind That Builds You

Sameer Maheshwari’s story reminds us that middle class isn’t just an economic label, it’s a mindset, a way of seeing the world. The lack of privilege doesn’t limit you; it hardens you, teaches you to stretch every rupee, earn every reward, and stay grateful for the journey.

“Middle class isn’t just an economic label, it’s a mindset. One I will always be grateful for,” Maheshwari writes.

If you grew up in a middle-class household, chances are that mindset still shapes your decisions today, in the way you manage risk, the way you treat people, the way you build your company.

And if you ever doubt whether the grind was worth it, remember: it gave you an advantage money can’t buy.

Also Read: How Anuj Made Finance Fun for Millions