How this telecom executive is strategizing his path to FIRE

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₹15 crore, which he expects to achieve within the next five years. Guin began his career in software sales, but now works in a strategy role at a large telecom firm, which he transitioned to after earning an executive MBA at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He discovered the FIRE movement on social media in 2018, but his interest deepened during the covid pandemic in 2020.

“The idea of being financially independent and retiring early to do what I truly love was very appealing," says Guin. According to him, FIRE isn’t about quitting work but gaining the freedom to pursue passions. “For me, FIRE doesn’t mean just kicking back and relaxing in a shack on a beach.

I might explore entrepreneurship or teaching, which I’m passionate about. I would like to think how I can give back to society," he says. “As a child, I have witnessed financial uncertainty.

Perhaps that’s also a reason to seek FIRE," Guin adds. To accelerate his FIRE journey, Guin restructured his investment portfolio over the years. Here is a look at it.

Guin was first exposed to the stock markets in the late 2000s, when he began buying direct stocks. However, the experience wasn’t a good one, and he recalls holding some prominent stocks that, after the 2008 crisis, either became penny stocks or were delisted. “I have burnt my fingers in the stock markets.

I had bought these stocks based on tips from colleagues or friends," he says. Later, a work colleague introduced Guin to mutual funds, which became the core of his portfolio. Over time, his mutual fund portfolio grew very large and needed to be streamlined, which he began doing about three years ago.