Received 'bricks and stones' for praising working 18 hours a day

Tushar S's post about co-founder Abhinash Khare received many comments, mostly criticism - Photo: India Today

I thought this post would receive applause, but unexpectedly many people commented to express their dissatisfaction with the toxic work culture and disregard for human health at this company.

Work 18 hours, not even drink water

Tushar S – CEO of Vaani Research Labs, a Bengaluru-based AI startup – has revealed the extremely stressful daily schedule of co-founder Abhinash Khare.

Tushar S's LinkedIn post exposes the harsh realities of startups, and sparks discussion about whether this dedication creates a toxic work culture.

In a LinkedIn post, Tushar S describes the relentless 18-hour workdays Abhinash has been maintaining for the past seven months, as the two pursue their vision of developing AI systems with human-like voices. Abhinash's efforts, Tushar S explains, are to "optimize efficiency."

“It’s been almost seven months of continuous programming until 2am, waking up at 8am and going back to research and programming again,” Tushar S shared in a now-deleted LinkedIn post.

“Abhinash’s bed is just about a meter away from the computer. No water, no morning routine – he wakes up in front of the computer screen and immediately gets to work building the AI ​​infrastructure for our startup,” Tushar S said.

While admitting that he doesn't mean to "glorify overexertion," Tushar S emphasizes that startup life, especially without outside resources or funding, requires one to push their limits.

“Building a startup is hard. Building a startup without any resources or funding is even harder. Building a startup by quitting a high-paying (and I mean EXTREMELY high-paying) job without outside backing. That’s another level of hard,” he wrote.

Get criticized for promoting toxic work culture

However, not everyone was happy with the posts. Tushar S’s post, which was meant as a tribute to Abhinash’s relentless efforts, drew both admiration and harsh criticism, raising questions about the glorification of unhealthy work habits in India’s booming tech industry.

Many users accused him of promoting a toxic work culture, putting undue pressure on employees.

“This kind of burnout is a ‘toxic work culture’ and I don’t see any reason to publicly praise it. I completely understand how difficult it is to start a business, but at the same time it is important to focus on sustainable and organic growth rather than rushing into burnout,” one user said.

Another user added: "This is a new way to glorify toxic culture. A well-rested mind and body can work wonders. As a co-founder, you should try to lighten his workload, even if he wants to! Think long term."

Faced with growing backlash, Tushar S deleted the post, admitting that it may have sent the wrong message. He explained that while he did not intend to promote an unsustainable work ethic, the reality of running a startup with minimal resources left them with few options.

"Most of you are concerned about our health and work-life balance. We are extremely grateful for the feedback. No one wants to work so hard for months, but sometimes we have no choice and no resources," Tushar S explained in a later post.

The post sparked an ongoing discussion about work culture in India’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem, where long hours, limited resources, and intense pressure often blur the line between dedication and burnout.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhan-gach-da-khi-ca-ngoi-cach-lam-viec-18-tieng-mot-ngay-20241002122607252.htm