Gurugram founder questions Gen Z employee over 7pm log-off, his reply hits hard
A Gurugram startup's founder questioned his Gen Z employee regarding his daily 7pm log-offs, which prompted him to give a response that left everyone speechless.
A Gen Z employee pushed back against the idea of “founder’s mindset” at work after he was hauled up by his founder for shutting down his laptop at 7pm every day. His counter-argument, however, left everyone speechless.
Nishant Joshi, who is currently based in Mumbai, shared the incident on LinkedIn involving his younger cousin, who works at an early-stage startup in Gurugram.
In his post, he narrated how the cousin was given a formal warning for shutting his laptop at 7pm. The next morning, the founder called him in and delivered a lengthy lecture on hustle, ownership, and the need to adopt a “founder’s mindset,” urging him to treat the company like his own.
“My cousin looked right back at him and delivered the absolute truth,” Nishant wrote, quoting him as he said, “Sir, I will treat this company like my baby the day you give me a fifty percent share in the equity. Right now I am just the babysitter and my shift ends at 7pm.”
Joshi went on to argue that the idea of a “founder’s mindset” was often misused in the Indian startup ecosystem, where employees were expected to put in long hours and emotional investment without corresponding financial incentives.
He also pointed out that while founders expected CEO-level dedication, compensation often remained at entry-level salaries, creating a mismatch between expectations and rewards.
Take a look at the post here:
The post triggered a long thread of nuanced discussion online, with people offering perspectives from both the employee's and founder's sides.
Several users agreed with the cousin’s response, agreeing that expecting ownership-level commitment without offering equity or meaningful incentives was unrealistic.
They felt that clearly defined work hours and boundaries should be respected, and that logging off on time did not indicate a lack of ambition but rather a professional approach to work-life balance.
At the same time, some pointed out that entrepreneurship came with significant risks, including financial losses and personal stakes that employees might not fully share. They suggested that founders often operated under immense pressure to keep the business afloat, which could influence their expectations from team members.
Others took a middle-ground view, saying that while employees were justified in maintaining boundaries, early-stage startups could also serve as valuable learning environments. They pointed out that going beyond defined roles could help individuals understand the business more deeply and eventually prepare them for their own entrepreneurial journeys.
A Gen Z employee pushed back against the idea of “founder’s mindset” at work after he was hauled up by his founder for shutting down his laptop at 7pm every day. His counter-argument, however, left everyone speechless.
Nishant Joshi, who is currently based in Mumbai, shared the incident on LinkedIn involving his younger cousin, who works at an early-stage startup in Gurugram.
In his post, he narrated how the cousin was given a formal warning for shutting his laptop at 7pm. The next morning, the founder called him in and delivered a lengthy lecture on hustle, ownership, and the need to adopt a “founder’s mindset,” urging him to treat the company like his own.
“My cousin looked right back at him and delivered the absolute truth,” Nishant wrote, quoting him as he said, “Sir, I will treat this company like my baby the day you give me a fifty percent share in the equity. Right now I am just the babysitter and my shift ends at 7pm.”
Joshi went on to argue that the idea of a “founder’s mindset” was often misused in the Indian startup ecosystem, where employees were expected to put in long hours and emotional investment without corresponding financial incentives.
He also pointed out that while founders expected CEO-level dedication, compensation often remained at entry-level salaries, creating a mismatch between expectations and rewards.
Take a look at the post here:
The post triggered a long thread of nuanced discussion online, with people offering perspectives from both the employee's and founder's sides.
Several users agreed with the cousin’s response, agreeing that expecting ownership-level commitment without offering equity or meaningful incentives was unrealistic.
They felt that clearly defined work hours and boundaries should be respected, and that logging off on time did not indicate a lack of ambition but rather a professional approach to work-life balance.
At the same time, some pointed out that entrepreneurship came with significant risks, including financial losses and personal stakes that employees might not fully share. They suggested that founders often operated under immense pressure to keep the business afloat, which could influence their expectations from team members.
Others took a middle-ground view, saying that while employees were justified in maintaining boundaries, early-stage startups could also serve as valuable learning environments. They pointed out that going beyond defined roles could help individuals understand the business more deeply and eventually prepare them for their own entrepreneurial journeys.
