“You Haven’t Built Anything”: How One Sentence Shook (and Then Strengthened) This VP of Growth's Career
How Amaan Nathoo Rebuilt His Confidence (and His Career)
Hey 👋 I’m Andrew. Welcome to Delivering Value - the newsletter and podcast where I share stories from SaaS leaders about the toughest moments of their careers, and explore how they turned them into success stories. You get the lessons - without the scars.
Most startup founders say they want "builders."
People who don’t wait for permission.
Who can create something from scratch.
And can ship a high-volume of work - without needing much supervision.
In an early-stage company, builders are essential.
But when Amaan Nathoo heard that phrase from his new CEO, it hit differently:
"You haven’t built anything. We’re taking a chance on you."
This wasn’t just any job. After years of grinding - building sales teams, launching growth programs, helping lead an acquisition - Amaan had finally landed a VP role at a newly funded startup.
It was supposed to be the moment that said: You’ve made it. Instead, two weeks in, he was questioning everything.
Here’s what happens when the story you’ve built your career on gets shattered - and how you find your footing again.
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The comment wasn’t meant to cut deep. But it did.
Growing up, Amaan had seen a different version of “building.”
His parents were East African immigrants who ran small businesses: a dry cleaners, an ice cream shop, a burger joint. Building had been part of his DNA.
It didn’t mean writing code.
It meant creating something that didn’t exist before - and making it work. That mindset carried Amaan through door-to-door sales jobs in college. Through launching (and failing) his own startup. Through years of scrappy team-building in tech.
So when the founder said he hadn’t "built anything," it didn’t just question his resume.
It questioned his identity.
And it triggered something deeper: micro-imposter syndrome.
Not the kind that interrupts your sleep with work dreams.
(That’s the macro version.)
The kind that makes you question if people will ever see the full weight of your experience. And second-guess your decisions. And wonder if they made the right hire in the first place.
In the following weeks, Amaan found himself reflecting on the comment: wondering if he was in the right place.
In classic overachiever fashion, he tried to fix it the only way he knew how:
By doing more.
By proving more.
By working twice as hard to justify his place.
"I got in my own head," Amaan said.
"I reacted by trying to show value early and often. But I lost my footing."
But as the doubt lingered, so did something else: frustration.
Because Amaan had “built” plenty of things.
He may not have been a developer. But he had:
Started and scaled teams from scratch.
Launched GTM strategies that drove results.
Helped companies navigate acquisitions.
Founded his own company earlier in his career.
Just because he hadn’t written code didn’t mean he hadn’t created lasting value.
"It took me a while," he said, "but yeah — eventually, I did have a bit of a ‘f*ck you’ moment. I realized: I am a builder. Just not in the narrow way they first pictured."
When you’ve spent your life proving you belong, a small comment can open a huge wound. And left unchecked, that wound can fester.
This could have been the beginning of a slow unravel.
Quietly checking out.
Burning out.
Eventually quitting - and blaming himself for not being “startup-y enough.”
But Amaan made a different move.
At a small team offsite, Amaan knew it was time to clear the air:
He didn’t walk in expecting a feel-good conversation.
"I think my intention was: maybe I’m going to quit. Maybe they’re going to want to move on from me,” he said.
But he needed to clear the air. He had feel feeling frustrated, his energy was dipping, and he could feel tension with the founders. He wasn’t sure how that conversation would go, but he was okay with whatever the outcome was.
So he said the thing that needed saying:
"I’m frustrated. I don’t feel heard. And it’s affecting how I show up," he told them.
To his surprise, they didn’t push back (or fire him). They owned their part too. The conversation became a reset.
"We realized we weren’t that far apart," he said.
"We just hadn’t communicated."
The conversation didn't magically erase all the doubts. But it rebuilt enough trust to finish the chapter on his own terms.
Eventually, Amaan made the decision to move on.
He transitioned into solo consulting.
Built a thriving book of clients.
Reclaimed the title of "builder" - but on his own terms.
And along the way, he discovered something bigger than the original goal:
"I don’t care about building things on my own. I like building things together."
That shift - from proving worth to creating value collaboratively - changed everything.
He didn’t need to hustle alone to earn his seat anymore.
If you’re feeling the sting of doubt right now - if you’re in that messy middle between who you were and who you’re becoming, here’s your reminder:
You’re not broken.
You’re in transition.
The voices in your head - the ones saying you’re not technical enough, not startup-y enough, not "builder" enough - those aren’t facts. They’re opinions.
And they’re subjective.
Catch Amaan’s entire story on YouTube
Listen on Spotify
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