'15-Hour Shift, Broke Down': Indian Techie Shares Harrowing Experience of Working in a Start-Up

An Indian techie's Reddit post sharing his harrowing experience of working for a startup founder who verbally abused him has reignited conversations surrounding toxic work culture. In a heart-wrenching post, the young professional accused one of the company’s co-founders of verbal abuse and exploitation.

He also shared that the founder's rude behavior caused him to cry during a video call.

"Recently joined a startup in a frontend role as a fresher, it's been 2 months grinding day and night. There are only 2 employees and 3 founders, and one of them handles the backend and plays the role of tech lead," the techie wrote.

"My colleague and I have dropped the expectation of appreciation from him. Right now, we just expect not to be humiliated," the post continued.

“I could not hold my tears and started crying, and I was not in the mental zone to work, so I told him I am taking leave after a few hours of Google Meet,” the post read.

He also described the pressure of working with a lack of training and a hostile environment. He asked Redditors for advice on how to deal with the situation.

How Did Social Media React?

Redditors quickly flocked to the post with supportive comments.

"Content and UI/UX designers are most exploited in startups, mostly Indian ones. You’ll burn out to the level that you would want to quit immediately and run away. The team never knows what they want, and expectations are never met," one user wrote.

"There's a saying: You don’t cry because you are weak but because you tried to be strong for too long," another remarked.

A third person suggested, “Try to get out of that place. You are just a resource for them. They will exploit you as much as you let them."

“Believe in your skills, start interviewing, and dump them once you get a better job. Do it for your mental health,” a fourth comment read.

A final comment advised, "Just remember, what you did was out of your control and was a pure mental breakdown. You don’t need to hold any shame or guilt. Your lead should; it shows his inability to handle the situation. You don’t need to worry about crying. Just start with silent quitting and look for another job."

In a follow up comment the techie revealed he had another video call with his boss after the incident and tried setting some boundaries while speaking in an assertive manner. He also shared that he plans to continue the job until he finds a new one.