Indian CEO warns people not to fall for ‘startup romance’, shares harsh reality | Trending

Startup culture in India has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade, reshaping career aspirations for many. This dynamic ecosystem often inspires the young and ambitious workforce to pursue entrepreneurship over conventional job roles. Edelweiss MF’s Radhika Gupta has, however, shared a warning against this “startup romance” and documented the harsh realities that often accompany this career choice. Radhika Gupta’s post on “startup romance” has prompted a flurry of comments on X. (Instagram/@iamradhikagupta) “There is now an increased air of ‘startup romance’. That paints startup life as working in chiller attire out of a fancy co working space, talking ideas all day, raising funding rounds, giving gyaan on social media, hosting Fri Eve drinks for colleagues. Don’t fall for it,” she wrote. “‘Startup reality’ hits soon. It means painful execution, limited budgets and even more limited working conditions, constant rejection, challenges in hiring and retention, pressure for revenue at any cost, and uncertainty for a very long period of time,” she added. Check out her post: How did social media react?Her statement sparked a debate on social media. While some showed their support, others were unconvinced. An individual wrote, “In 1998, when I started my first startup, people thought it was because I couldn’t get a job at a big IT company. And now people are proud of the label. It’s less risky now as a funding round ensures you get a decent salary at least.” Another added, “While I agree with all the points, I disagree with ‘pressure for revenue at all costs’ – that’s a completely personal choice that founders make. In fact it’s more prevalent in the Mutual fund dribution industry where dributors sell poor mutual funds to customers.” A third expressed, “The toughest job is of startup. Working for 10-12 hours is ok, but even after that nothing is assured. People only see the success stories and get allured but forget that after every 5 successes there are 95 failures too. Social media also paints a rosy picture which is not so rosy.” A fourth commented, “That’s right on the bulls eye!!” Who is Radhika Gupta?She is the MD and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund. She joined Edelweiss Multi-Strategy Funds as a Business Head and, after working in the company for nearly three years, assumed the role of CEO at Edelweiss Asset Management Limited. What are your thoughts on Radhika Gupta’s post?