Indian entrepreneur Riya Upreti, founder of personal branding agency Fobet Media, has argued that relying only on a conventional salary may not be enough to build wealth as living and property costs rise.
In a LinkedIn post, Upreti pointed to her own experience with property ownership to explain why she believes people should build additional sources of wealth alongside their primary careers.
“I bought 2 houses at 24, but my kids might never buy one,” Upreti wrote.
She said the gap between property prices and salary growth had made her rethink how future generations may approach home ownership. “In India, home prices have been rising faster than inflation, while salaries haven’t kept pace in many sectors,” she wrote, adding, “It made me realise how the economy keeps getting difficult.”
Why Upreti says a salary may not be enough
Upreti said she has observed professionals across different fields continuing to push themselves beyond their core work. She referred to doctors with busy practices, founders running businesses worth ₹10 crore, ₹50 crore and more than ₹100 crore, creators with millions of followers, and marketing executives.
Her argument is that these people continue to explore opportunities outside their main professional roles rather than relying on one income stream or career path.
“Including me, I’ve never settled on one business model & that’s the secret everyone asks for,” she wrote.
Upreti said this approach is increasingly visible among successful professionals who are building businesses, equity, intellectual property, assets or personal brands alongside their primary occupations.
“That’s exactly why almost every successful person I meet is building something outside their primary profession,” she wrote.
She also linked the need to build beyond a primary career to the level of effort individuals put into their work. “Because bare-minimum efforts in your career will only give you bare-minimum results,” she said.
Upreti said that building ownership beyond a regular profession could offer another route to wealth creation. She listed equity, businesses, intellectual property, assets and personal brands as examples.
“And the only way to beat inflation is by owning equity, businesses, intellectual property, assets, or a solid personal brand,” she wrote.
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