A Reddit post detailing the alleged work culture of a decade-old “startup” has gone viral. The former employee claimed that despite operating for more than 10 years, the company still functions without structure, leadership, or accountability. The post paints a grim picture of mismanagement, poor communication, and employee exploitation.
No HR, No Structure, No Leadership
According to the Reddit user, the company continues to label itself as a “startup” even after 10–11 years. “There’s no proper structure, no clear roles, and no leadership system at all. For example, there’s not even a proper project manager to handle projects,” the user wrote.
The employee alleged that the firm operated without a Human Resources department for years, and HR duties were handled by the co-founder — who often made errors in official documents. “Recently, they hired an HR just for namesake — her only responsibility is to shortlist candidates. She doesn’t conduct interviews, make documents, or handle employee management, and is almost always on leave or ‘sick,’” the post read.
‘Kai Bhau, Chal Re’: Founder’s Informal Behaviour and Project Chaos
The post also accused the founder of lacking vision and professionalism. “He assigns work, and when it’s almost done, he cancels it. Most of his project plans and content come directly from ChatGPT,” the user claimed.
His manner of communication, the Redditor alleged, was “unprofessional,” saying, “His communication is unprofessional, using phrases like ‘Kai bhau,’ ‘Arey bhau,’ ‘Chal re,’ etc., yet he claims his presentations with foreign clients are excellent.”
The workplace, according to the account, was “toxic,” with an inexperienced project manager who was “a fresh graduate related to the co-founder.” The employee wrote, “Projects are never completed on time, and clients frequently complain. I even witnessed one client saying, ‘Tell us if you even want to do the work or not — we’re paying every month and still no results!’ Instead of accepting responsibility, the co-founder took all the credit.”
Salary Delays, Unpaid Internships, and Broken Promises
The user said they left the company within three months due to delayed salary payments. “Later, I found out that this salary issue has been ongoing for a long time, and many senior employees had already left for the same reason. Now they only hire freshers or interns — often unpaid — and extend internships endlessly to get free work from newcomers,” the post claimed.
Even after resignation, the former employee alleged that they never received their experience letter. “Salary and probation promises were changed arbitrarily. Initially, a fixed CTC was promised after a 3-month probation, with ₹5,000/month during probation. When it was time to convert to full-time, they suddenly offered ₹2.6 LPA and extended probation by another 2 months. No explanation was given,” they added.
Fake Reviews and No Work-Life Balance
The post concluded by accusing the company of forcing employees to work long hours and weekends without compensation. “They also expect employees to work late nights, weekends, and extra hours without any extra compensation. There’s no work-life balance whatsoever,” the Redditor wrote.
According to the user, the company’s “positive online reviews appear to be fake, likely written by internal employees.” They called the organisation “completely mismanaged, toxic, and exploitative toward newcomers.”
(This story is based on a post shared by a social media user. The details, opinions, and statements quoted herein belong solely to the original poster and do not reflect the views of Financialexpress.com. We have not independently verified the claims.)