I just started here so I don't have grapes to start a chat

Product Owner

The technical founder has a mental breakdown and wants to exit the company. He's the main person who developed the software and the whole team is freaking out. The mental breakdown was caused by hi...

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

The technical founder has a mental breakdown and wants to exit the company. He's the main person who developed the software and the whole team is freaking out. The mental breakdown was caused by his personal issues and we've been struggling to straighten him out for the past 3 months. We tried again and again to help him , we even took him to a therapist and even the therapist said "it's better to keep him at the hospital for a couple of days for observation" . He didn't want to stay there because he'll be labelled as mentally unstable. Now we don't know what to do ? He wants to leave the company when we're getting clients and we're about to crack a deal with the investors . This is breaking the company apart.

What actions to take when the co-founder has a mental breakdown ?

What actions to take when the co-founder has a mental breakdown ?- Grapevine

Obviously i wouldnt sign the deal anymore

Just asking here ,if i should convince him to stay or just wind up everything?

Reason for his leaving: We have been struggling for an year & despite now raising a preseed ,he is afraid that the next two years might be with struggle & constant disappointments

Should i try to convince him by painting an optimistic picture or should i just accept that he is a redflag & just move on in life

Please don't troll, I dont have enough energy to fight trolls today

My cofounder is planning to quit , we have a preseed termsheet in place

Program Manager

I am going through my notice at an early stage Start-up.

The founder is extremely toxic and is trying to create issues despite me trying to work double hard.

She is not even seeing my face and acting all weird - I don't know how to deal with this.

How to deal with toxic founder during Notice period?

Product Manager

A company called loop health started allowing remote work and hiring in early 2022 soon after receiving $25 million dollars investment. 
Founders are a great pair in the initial but as soon after investment of series A , difference broke out and one of the co-founders left the company in the name of sabbatical from backdoor out. He was visionary and had great product sense which the CEO got jealous of and stopped him at all the cost of investors recognising him. Anyway now the real unhealthy thing is not this story but due to this product the scope got messed up and customers started complaining and renewals badly hit to 60-80%. The competitor got them easily , one of the sales people said on call at a loop that loop company customers are easy to catch for competitors.
Now the real story is, the CEO wanted only the Pune office to survive and all remote employees to leave so he did a little magic ✨. Instead of laying off people, strategically not compensating anyone started layoff from the beginning of the 2023 this year by asking each outsider to resign and leave. The strategy was simple, 
Find weakness and make them accept simple mistakes as well and ask them to resign. At the same time, hire contractors at Pune to join and work. If any employee is strong or doesn't want to leave then make them contract employees and expect work in the same way.
This is not at all acceptable and the CEO is not alone on this. CEO, CTO , CPO involved plan. 
The problem with this approach is unfair practices, if someone makes a mistake they won't give any PIP plan. They just fire them in easy  ways to resign. CEO proudly says he wants great tennis 🎾 team but infact ceo is just a ball boy.

Loop is unhealthy!

Data engineer

As the title suggests, does it make sense to talk about a colleagues’s inability to deliver to my manager. The colleague’s incompetence to take ownership is very evident now to everyone and the manager is not taking any steps on it. Others have to basically cleanup and babysit him. Worse part, this colleague gets paid the highest in the team. At this point it’s just breeding resentment across the team. How to handle this situation? Any tips. Early stage startup, the manager is part of the founding team.

Should you confront your manager about a colleague’s incompetence?

Do not get involved. Try to minimise your own additional work due to that colleague. In one-to-one meeting with manager, let the manager know. Use the words: I just wanted to bring your attention to one more matter. Then describe the challenges that you face. Not your team. Do not gang up, do not conspire or collaborate. Do not mention about how other colleagues feel the same way. If your manager takes a negative opinion of these activity, you'll be fucked, because such a thing would create a negative impression. If the manager is not inclined to go by your judgement of your colleague's competence, you'll lose face. But it's much easier to control the narrative and restore your manager's confidence in you in a one-on-one conversation, than when it's a group mutiny. No matter what others tell you, do not get encouraged. People often sound like they're with you, but they often are not. They won't back their statements, and you'll be alone holding the bag. And moreover, if you stay out of it, you'll be able to carry the high ground of being above the fray, out of politics, and being balanced. Don't do netagiri of this sort. Conserve it for initiatives for which getting consensus is harder. It might be possible that you're the only one feeling so strongly about it. Then you may be in need of a weekend, or someone to vent to, or even therapy. But get your hate in check.

Generalist

This is an interesting trend fully driven by VCs/board

(Co)founders laid-off

Apart from a few good ones here rest are toxic-ologists 🥲. Startup ecosystem is rosy from outside only (folks who know, know :))

Private Equity

A friend is pretty upset about where they are working. They feel a bit cheated with the #edtech company not growing as the founders kept promising them. The company has reversed its initial growth and is now not sure of the next steps. 

They were largely into giving charters instead of degrees and their pandemic success has disappeared. 

They are wondering if they should cut loss and jump ship before the company shuts. Or should they sink with the team?

The founders are pretty cool guys outside. With a good reputation. But they haven't been able to scale the company and promises have dried up. 

I wish I could reveal the name - but I don't want to affect anyone or point at anyone else. But my friend is really traumatised and has lost interest in work and is given new roles and responsibilities every week at '_t_a'. And everyone else is demotivated and upset with how the founders seem to cut their losses by doing secondaries but they can't do a thing! Even the investors don't seem to care much. 

My friend and a few others plan to take this up with the founders on Wednesday. And there is an internal revolt going on.

Edtech Dillema at '_t_a' - what should my friend do?

Founder

In your experience, what are some early signs that help detect incoming layoffs at a startup?

 It could be company-wide, team specific or in a particular function only.

Layoffs at startups: Early signs or warning signals

Hiring freeze, decreased marketing spend, founding team retreating away from day to day activities and meetings

Software Developer

While the company is doing absolutely poorly and laying off people left right and centre, the two so-called founders are on vacation to the US chilling and hanging out with people.

It's a disgrace that the Indian startup ecosystem has founders like them who are busy expanding their social and financial status at the cost of employee wellbeing and mental health.

What a disappointment.

Double faced founders

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

Is mental health a big problem for all you other PMs ?
Sometimes days, weeks and months are so difficult in aligning , solving and scoping that you have a breakdown .
The constant need to always be on top is exhausting and take a toll.
How do guys handle this ?

Mental Health

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

Hi Everyone, This post is about the Toxic Co-Founder of Quantiphi (Mr Toxic Asif Hassan).

Reasons:

1. Work-Culture has become Toxic, People in Project are working since 5 weekends without any single leave ( No Extra Pay/No Comp-offs/ No weekend Leaves) and that to 13-14hours a day Straight.

2. People in my project who have raised voices have been told (" You know what options you have and I have "). Indirectly saying if you revolt either i will fire you or you resign immediately.

3. People facing issues with Clients(Canda's BigTicket Insurance Firm) paying a huge amount for an un-realistic deadline project were told by Asif. If you have any problems that don't come to me, i want only solutions( He doesn't want to listen to Anyone).

4. People were forcefully told to come to the office ( Some people who had some genuine issues e.g. one of our colleagues recently got blessed with a baby) was told by Asif you are not the one caring for the baby, So you have to come.

5. All our advanced leaves are cancelled, People who are taking Sick leave are being told either bring your backup or work with your Illness, we don't care.

6. Issues raised with HR, HR says "We cant do anything".

7. In the last 7 days many senior people and colleagues were either Forcefully resigned / got Laid-Off.

8. The people suffering the most are the ones directly in touch with the client or the developers reason being Asif bashes Managers and Managers Bash us for No fault of ours because of the un-realistic deadlines set.

9. People revolting are put on the bench and are laid-off the next day without any reason. 

The Moral of the whole team is near to Zero and many of us are thinking to voluntarily Resign from this toxic workplace. 

Guys do suggest, should we call out these kinds of toxic Co-Founders and Companies or not. I need to help me reach this post to a wider audience.

Happy to hear comments.

Quantiphi's Toxic Co-Founder

I'm working as a Frontend developer (SDE-1) with 1.5yoe, I joined this startup 4 months back. Earlier I was getting paid 9lpa and later I was offered 12lpa without even asking for my previous compensation. I accepted because my earlier organisation was very toxic. Now coming to the point, 

I came to know that for the same level and same role they're paying 16+lpa. And this is making me mad at them. 

Within 3 months I'm handling 1 of their 2 products (customer facing) all alone. And I'm doing great work tbh (not boasting) but if they have 10 major features. I have developed 4 of them all alone, solved really critical down time bugs and improved the product. 

Now I own this product and if any bugs come, I'm the person who's assigned the work.

I want to have a chat with the Founder but I'm not sure what to say and he's a guy who will try to save the money at all costs. 

I'm really mad at this point of time and I'm planning to leave in a few months. 

If I have a chat with him and he says something harsh, I will resign then and there I'm triggered to this level. 

And there was no kind of appreciation from them, I'm taking most tickets during the sprints and delivering quality code, communicating well and thinking in terms of product, if there is anything which can be improved I ask from them.

How do I have a chat with him and what do I say?
Current CTC - 12lpa
Expected CTC - 16 - 20lpa
YOE- 1.5 (planning to have the call around 3-4 months later), so I will be almost 2 yoe by then.

Pay disparity in my startup.

You are being paid 75% of what others are being paid at the same level. 
  
 Reduce your inputs by 75% to achieve fair parity (no. of tickets or work hours or whatever). 
  
 Use the saved time to prepare for your job switch.

I have been working in a startup for the past 5 months the Work Culture is getting to me. The lead tells me he wants the deliverables at any cost. I am loosing interest in the job by the day and i feel i need a break to reset myself i have started getting health complications as well. I roughly have 8.5 lakhs in my account and by the time i leave i will have 10 lakh lumpsum in account.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don’t carry the burden of marriage and there is 0 loan on me.

Should i take a break

Backend Engineer

I recently left a good company to join a startup. Now after joining I come to know they have working Saturdays and in 2 weeks I'm already burnt out. There is literally no process to do things and in my first feature their psycho tech lead had mood swings and asked me to refractor the code 3 times based on his mood swings. 
The signs are really bad and I don't want to stay here anymore. 
Is the tech hiring picking up? I'm prepared to sit for a couple of months without a job as well tbh. But if the market is too bad then that may be a worse step than staying here.
Regretting the switch.

Messed up my career

Software Engineer

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

- Remove people from Townhall meet because there camera is not switched on.

- Do an app revamp because he gets cognitive overload, and not users.

- Forces decisions without an objective measurement for outcome. 


Guess, who!

How to be a toxic founder?

I am working as a senior product manager in a fintech startup. I am under a lot of stress due to work pressure, continuous badgering from business and tech stakeholders and loneliness. I always think of going home but staying in stressful job mainly because I don't want to be jobless. I can only post my views here anonymously because I don't want to be seen as loser. Request members if they can provide their suggestions.

PS : As far as my profile is concerned it's B tech + MBA from tier 1 college and 3 years of tech experience followed by 7 yrs into Product Management and living alone in Bangalore.

Deteriorating mental health

Spent over 2 and a half years pivoting three times but couldn't save ourselves. Spent over 1 cr on a marketing agency , founders split up and one of them stopped taking part in the day to day affairs. 

The startup has been at it since 7 years. Founder is still doesn't want to accept the known, so quit finally. Being in engineering even did support and marketing but we just ran of money. This has drained me and don't know what to do now?

What actions to take when the co-founder has a mental breakdown ?

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