“Toxic culture is important for a successful startup” - Acid

The startup culture is so toxic these days, they literally treat people like slaves now. Hiring krte time team team krenge lekin fir attitude aisa ki jaise mazdoor ho jo dihadi lene aagye ho roz, idk if its the case everywhere but i experienced it in 2 startups in NCR.

After going through so many posts on grapevine..I feel like all the startups in India are toxic only 😕😕 Really want to know which are the startups worthy of joining? Preferably in product roles

Something as a founder I have decided over the years. Everywhere around you, you hear stories of founders who worked 16-18 hours a day, made their team work as hard, were assholes, shouted at people, made people cry. You start to think, that's an absolute must to succeed. I don't think it is. For every 2-3 founders that are toxic, there's the one good natured founder who succeeds. They're rare, but they do exist. 1) I've been in many toxic jobs. I've hated them, and had some form of anxiety. To become successful, if I subject people through the same, what was all of this for? 2) I'm not saying I'll keep it too chill at my startup. I actually expect people to work harder than typical corporates, but only if they have good ESOPs in the early days, a chance to actually learn and do well (and that should be pre-aligned) 3) But what about the mission? Don't you want to make sure your mission becomes true, whatever you're chasing actually reaches 1000s/millions of people? Sure. But it solves for many vacations for me, and maybe better lives for my kids, and perhaps some problem gets solved. But what if it doesn't. It cannot come at the cost of miserable lives for my team. I'll never be proud of my work if that happens. We all have a decision. Why just be a successful founder? Why not have a higher aim... be a successful non toxic founder? You'd be truly 1 in a million then. That's how I'll always see it, I hope.

Can anyone share for the benefit of those who are keen to avoid making mistakes..

I am starting up soon. I care about working on meaningful problems, with good people and building the right culture. Have been hearing from a lot of folks about culture problems in startups. Seems more of a norm rather than an exception. Curious to know why do startup culture degrade? What pitfalls should I avoid to create a healthy culture?

will help potential job seekers to avoid the startup and save many lives. lot of blessings from everyone to whosoever calls out toxic workplaces

The current company which I work in is backed by YC and is one of the most toxic workplaces I have ever seen. I joined as one of the early engineers and since then the founders attitude and ego have only become worse. The thing is they think hiring anyone in a short span of time can replace someone who’s working there for like more than 2 years and have built the product from scratch. This just infuriates me.

How do you deal with extreme work pressure and a toxic working environment. I'm just done with my current company the culture is so toxic that people are leaving left and right. Dev's are working even on weekends and are denied leave. If anybody raises their voice then disciplinary action mails are used as a threat. Office politics and salaries getting hold. It came to a point I'm ready to resign without any offer in my hand and maybe Month's carrier break to work on myself and keep myself sane. I want to know how you keep yourself sane and keep up with this shit show. 🙏

I've been observing a concerning trend lately on this platform, and I believe it's high time we rethink the way we treat startup founders. Take a moment to consider the dedication and courage it takes to leave a secure job and venture into the world of entrepreneurship. I feel Companies like Dukaan, AppX etc were unnecessarily mocked here based on one side of opinion, I've had the privilege of working closely with a startup's CTO for the past two years, and it's been an eye-opening experience. Startups are like fragile ecosystems where every member plays a crucial role. However, what I've noticed is that sometimes employees who find it challenging to keep up with the dynamic startup environment tend to cast blame on the founders and the company culture. Let's remember, every startup is a journey of learning, growth, and innovation. Founders make mistakes, learn from them, and strive to create something meaningful. They invest their time, energy, and resources into building something from scratch. Instead of mocking them, we should applaud their courage and determination. But, what's even more disheartening is the toxic behavior exhibited by some employees here on Grapevine. It's disheartening to see individuals intentionally targeting someone's reputation due to personal grudges. Instead of resorting to negativity, let's try to understand the challenges startup founders face. Put yourself in their shoes; empathize with the pressure, uncertainty, and sleepless nights they endure to bring their visions to life. We should strive to be a community that supports and uplifts one another, especially those who are trying to make a difference in the business world. Let's promote constructive criticism and empathy, recognizing that we all have our unique journeys, struggles, and successes. #SupportStartups #EmpathyMatters #GrapevineCommunity 🌟