How Manisha Puppala Became the Face of H1B Reform in the Wall Street Journal!
WSJ came for the solution story but published the victim narrative. Here's what they missed.
How many people can say a Wall Street Journal article starts with their name?
“Manisha Puppala, an Indian national who recently graduated with a master’s degree in Technology, Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from the Rochester Institute of Technology...”
That’s the opening line of today’s WSJ feature on H1B reform. Not buried in paragraph 10. Not a passing mention. THE LEAD.
Here’s the thing - Manisha wasn’t trying to get press. She was just showing up every day, building H1Founders, answering questions at midnight, creating tools during our lunch breaks. That’s how real recognition happens - you don’t chase it, it finds you while you’re busy working.
What WSJ didn’t capture: While they quoted Manisha asking “What do I do now?” - she already knew the answer. She’s exploring the O-1 visa route (extraordinary ability in business), which is perfect for platform builders. We’re not victims waiting for policy changes - we’re builders creating alternative paths.
The article mentions we’re helping founders “sponsor themselves on other kinds of visas” but didn’t explain HOW:
O-1 visas for founders with traction
EB-1A for those with extraordinary ability
EB-2 NIW for founders whose work benefits America
E-2 for those who can invest
We’re not sitting around asking “what do we do?” - we have the playbook and we’re executing it.
For those thinking about EB-1A, pay attention:
WSJ coverage isn’t just press - it’s the platinum standard of media evidence. When USCIS sees Wall Street Journal coverage, they don’t question credibility. This single article provides:
“Published material about you in professional/major trade publications” ✓
“Evidence that you have performed in a leading or critical role” ✓
“Evidence of your original contributions of major significance” ✓
Manisha now has documentation that 99.9% of EB-1A applicants dream about. And she got it by doing the work, not by trying to get featured.
During the $100K fee panic last week, while consultancies charged $5K for “strategy calls,” we were in WhatsApp groups at 11 PM answering questions. Manisha was building free tools. No fees, no gatekeeping - just founders helping founders figure this out together.
The article quotes me saying: “This isn’t reform, it’s a sledgehammer... this ensures that only companies with the deepest pockets can play.”
But here’s the irony: WSJ came to us for the solution story but published the victim narrative. They have quotes about “What do I do now?” but missed that we already have answers. They came because we were the ones actually DOING something during the crisis - not panicking, but building.
The real story: While others charged $5K for “visa strategy calls,” we published free guides. While consultancies spread fear, we spread blueprints.
Manisha went from RIT student with $120K debt → building H1Founders → Wall Street Journal feature. In 6 months.
She didn’t plan this trajectory. She just kept building.
That’s what’s possible when you stop waiting for permission and start creating value.
Proud to work alongside her.
Full article: https://www.wsj.com/world/india/h1b-visas-india-tech-engineering-834e079a
#H1B #EB1A #Immigration #H1Founders #WSJ