ZomatoZomato founder Deepinder Goyal has weighed into the ongoing debate around work-life balance, saying that senior leadership in startups must view their work as a mission rather than a routine job. Speaking on entrepreneur Raj Shamani’s podcast Figuring Out, Goyal said building a startup demands deep ownership and urgency, especially from those in leadership roles.
According to Goyal, startups cannot succeed if leaders operate with a fixed, job-like mindset, even if working hours are structured. He stressed that emotional investment in the company is non-negotiable at senior levels. “You have to be obsessive about building something. That’s the kind of obsession I want from my senior team,” Goyal said. “I don’t want them to think of this as a job. If the senior team thinks of this as a job, I’m out. They have to think about this as their own baby.”
Why a ‘job mindset’ doesn’t work in startups
To explain what he considers a lack of ownership, Goyal cited a real-world scenario. If a major technical issue surfaces late on a Friday, choosing to delay fixing it until Monday reflects a job mentality, he said. Someone who truly owns the problem would stay back and resolve it immediately. “I would not go home on Friday at 6 pm. I would stay back and do the job,” he said.
Addressing concerns around personal life and burnout, Goyal clarified that commitment does not mean handling everything alone. He said delegation and teamwork play a key role in balancing urgency with personal time. “And our team is good that way. We have each other’s backs. We don’t track anyone’s holidays. People can take as many leaves as they want. But that commitment to urgency has to be there,” he said.
Work hours can be fixed, mindset cannot: Goyal
Goyal further drew a clear distinction between working hours and mindset, arguing that while startups can operate within defined schedules, the approach to work must remain flexible. “Startups don’t get built on a 9-to-5 attitude. They can be built on 9-to-5-hour clocks. But they can’t be built on a 9-to-5 attitude. They are different things.”
He added that even a weekday work structure is acceptable, but rigidity in thinking is not. “Monday to Friday works when it comes to hours. But a Monday-to-Friday mindset does not work for building a company,” he said.
Reiterating his stance on urgency during critical moments, Goyal said emergencies require collective effort across the organisation. “If there is a bug that would delay customer orders by 15 minutes, I would put a night out and solve it. The whole company should put a night out.”
When asked whether such expectations are fair for employees who do not have the same stake as founders, Goyal pointed to compensation and growth opportunities at Zomato. “We pay people a lot. We give them a lot of equity,” he said, adding, “If they show this kind of attitude, they grow faster as well. If they don’t, they stay where they are.”
Ultimately, Goyal said the choice lies with individuals and that intensity does not automatically come at the cost of well-being. “I don’t judge people. It’s your choice… if you can manage your family, work-life balance, your peace, and also obsess.”
Concluding his remarks, he said that obsession and calm can coexist when managed well. “Obsession can happen with peace. And those kinds of people who can manage and balance everything and still drive the right kind of outcomes still happen. They’re able to push for solving things overnight when they need to.”