New Delhi: A recent screenshot posted by a startup founder has created a lot of buzz on social media. In what appears to be a WhatsApp exchange between the startup founder and his employee, the post has mostly drawn flack for the ‘toxic’ behavior at leadership level.
Nikhil Rana, founder of The 15, posted a WhatsApp conversation screenshot on LinkedIn.
In the conversation, an employee offered to Work From Home (WFH) and sought to be excused for attending to his work assignment in person.
In quick response, Rana fired him on WhatsApp. “Chod do, you’re fired. Take today as the last day,” wrote Rana.
Furthering his point of view over the WhatsApp conversation, he said that Notice period is ‘theatre’ and a ‘waste of time’.
“At The 15 I strongly believe in no-notice period policy. Notice period is theatre. A waste of time,” Rana wrote.
He highlighted 5 points that Startups need.
1. People who take ownership
2. People who founders can depend upon
3. People with high-agency
4. People who don’t wait for the perfect time and situation.
5. People who can ‘make it happen’
He further echoed that skills have ‘taken the last seat now’. “Nobody gives a dime for skills. They’re commoditized,” wrote Nikhil.
Netizens react
Netizens, mostly poured comments that were opposed to the idea of notice-period work-ethics and leadership qualities.
A user commenting to the post wrote, “Ah yes, what an inspiring take! “skills have taken a back seat.” Exactly what anyone wants to hear. Why bother building expertise when you can just be on-call 24/7, shape-shifting to every founder’s whim, and calling it dedication? Clearly, the real benchmark now is how well you can function like a machine, but guess what – the only thing built for nonstop availability is AI, not people. And if this is being spun as some clever marketing gimmick, that’s even worse, it’s not bold or aspirational, it’s a pretty toxic that deserves to be called out and shut down.”
Another wrote, “If your goal was to go viral, then you have become successful. I saw this on X and couldn’t really believe someone could post this unironically but well, LinkedIn never fails to disappoint.”
A third wrote, “Accountability seems to be one-way traffic here. Employees get judged, founders get justified.”
Most users believed that such flexes are only symptomatic of toxicity and a major red flag.
