Why eSewa CEO Left After 13 Years: The Truth Behind Leaving Fintech

In this episode, Subhas Sapkota, CEO of Yeti Airlines and former CEO of eSewa, shares his lived experience leading across fintech, aviation, and education in Nepal. The conversation moves across three industries where Subash has held senior leadership roles and made long-term decisions inside complex systems. We begin with fintech. After years of leading eSewa and helping build it into a trusted digital wallet, Subash chose to step away from the CEO role even when everything was working well. In this episode, he explains why he left, what the “what next” moment looked like, and why he chose not to return to the wallet business again. In aviation, Subash shares his experience as the CEO of Yeti Airlines, where he took charge during a challenging period and led changes that helped move the company from loss to profit. He talks about the realities of running an airline in Nepal, the impact of policy and taxation, and how leadership decisions shape outcomes in a highly regulated industry. In education, the conversation turns to a problem he observed repeatedly as an employer and the gap between academic degrees and real-world readiness. Drawing from his experience at Yeti Airlines, eSewa, and F1Soft International, Subash explains why finding truly job-ready individuals is difficult. This led him to co-found two colleges in Nepal focused on practical, skill-based learning rather than rote education. Across all three industries, one pattern becomes clear: different sectors, different challenges but the same way of thinking behind leadership decisions. This episode is for anyone interested in: leadership inside Nepal’s systems making hard decisions when things are working understanding how thinking transfers across industries building long-term value rather than chasing short-term wins 🎙️ Watch the full conversation to hear how these experiences connect and what they reveal about leadership in Nepal. Timestamps  0:00  Journey of Subash Sapkota 6:20 Why Esewa wont’t become a bank 13:00 Core Leadership Framework used by Subash Sapkota 20:30 Harsh Reality of Airline Business (Yeti Airlines Ceo insight) 32:00 What Mindset Nepalese must have 35:50 Education System in Nepal 42:43 Limitation of Academic Degree 55:00 Reality of Foreign University Affiliated college in Nepal  57:02 Whose mistake ? Student leaving country  1:06:46 Master Framework of Subash for Business 1:10:50 Radical Changes required for Nepal 1:33:07 Will he ever come back to eSewa?   ___________________________________________________________________________   Want to join us live in the studio as an audience member? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/xZi8yptyoxkkc6aa8    ✉ Reach out to us at [email protected]   🎧 Listen on audio platforms:  https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-32f7s-19cc50b   🎤 Host: Anup Ghimire Founder of Doers Nepal  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anup-ghimire-9366aa5a/    👥 Guest  Subash Sapkota CEO @ Yeti Airlines  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/subhas-sapkota-42581937/?originalSubdomain=np    📲 Follow The Doers Nepal: Instagram:   / https://www.instagram.com/thedoersglobal/  Facebook:   / https://www.facebook.com/thedoersnepal/    🎬 Production Partner: Viewfinders Production Instagram:   / https://www.instagram.com/viewfindersstudio/?igsh=MWlseDV5azB3Y3lsMw%3D%3D#    This episode is strengthened by Hama Steels and insured by Himalayan Everest Insurance  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AGS33qQH3/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamasteel/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/himalayaneverestinsurance?mibextid=LQQJ4d&rdid=Ccm3aTE9zypUEi6B&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2FariZHNDrbMn2vFse%2F%3Fmibextid%3DLQQJ4d#    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hei.com.np/    Our ISP Partner: Vianet Communication Pvt. Ltd.  Need help building a high-quality podcast? They’ve got you covered – from set design and shooting to post-production and guest curation.   📸 Wedding Dreams Nepal Instagram:   / weddingdreamsnepal    Website: https://weddingdreamsnepal.com    📞 Call: +977 9813657889   #NepalPodcast #LeadershipInNepal #FintechNepal #AviationNepal #EducationInNepal #NepalBusiness #SystemThinking #DecisionMaking #BuildInNepal #EntrepreneurshipNepal