Daksh Gupta, the 22-year-old founder and CEO of AI startup Greptile, has sparked widespread discussion with his transparent stance on workplace culture. In contrast to many businesses prioritizing work-life balance, Gupta has made it apparent that his organization favors long hours and hard labor and is up-front with job seekers about this.
In a now-viral post on X, Gupta explained: “Recently, I started telling candidates right in the first interview that Greptile offers no work-life balance, typical workdays start at 9 a.m. and end at 11 p.m., often later and we work Saturdays, sometimes also Sundays. I emphasize the environment is high stress and there is no tolerance for poor work.”
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The post received considerable attention. Gupta described the reaction as “20% death threats and 80% job applications.” The conversation also gained traction on Reddit, with responses ranging from criticism of the work culture to praise for his honesty.
Some People Want This
In follow-up posts, Gupta clarified that his approach is not for everyone but is designed to attract those who thrive in high-intensity environments. "It might be hard to believe, but there exist people that want this, while a minority. The transparency exists to identify them," he noted.
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Gupta emphasized that the current workload is temporary. He compared the early stage of a startup to “reaching escape velocity,” requiring significant effort to establish the business.
"This kind of hard work isn't meant to last forever because it's not something people can keep up," Gupta said. He explained that in the first year or two of starting a company, you must work hard to get things going. But as the company grows, they plan to bring in more experienced workers who might need more balanced hours and they'll adjust things to make that happen.
Addressing Criticism
Some critics questioned why anyone would choose such a demanding work environment. The young founder made the case that high-intensity companies are frequently the most successful, citing the possibility of financial gains through equity. "Less than 10% of new startups grow big enough for their equity to be worth much. If you want to get rich through equity, you'd probably need to work at the top 10% of startups, which are usually the ones where people work the hardest," he explained to X users.
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Some people thought work hours should be more flexible. One person suggested letting employees pick their schedules. Gupta said he understood this idea but explained that teamwork is key for a small team. "This might work well for some talented engineers, but working together in real-time requires everyone to share the same hours," he said.
“I’m San Franciscan”
Gupta also addressed stereotypes after receiving criticism linking his work ethic to his Indian heritage. “Lot of Indian hate coming from this post, so I want to clarify that I am like this not because I'm Indian but because I'm San Franciscan," he wrote, emphasizing the influence of Silicon Valley's fast-paced culture on his approach.
Despite the mixed reactions, Gupta has supposedly seen an unexpected benefit – increased interest from potential hires. "More people reached out asking to join than I expected, most that are bored at large companies and looking for some excitement, which we have an overwhelming abundance of," he shared.
Gupta views his approach as deeply tied to his philosophy. "I care in the way an athlete cares about their sport or an instrumentalist cares about their instrument," he told Fortune.
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