A man who applied for Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal’s controversial Rs 20 lakh Chief of Staff position has shared his journey. The application eventually led him to build LAT Aerospace before he quit to launch his own proptech venture.
In a post on X, Harshit (@harshitmul) stated he applied after Goyal advertised for a Chief of Staff in November 2024. The position offered no salary during the first year and required the selected candidate to pay Rs 20 lakh for the opportunity to work with him.
While the job offer was widely slammed online, Harshit considered it as a rare learning opportunity. “The moment I read the post, I knew I had to apply,” he mentioned.
The 200-word application
Applicants were asked to submit a “genuine, honest” note of 200 words. Instead of preparing a regular job application, Harshit wrote about his personal and professional journey.
He remembered losing his father at 13 and helping manage the family’s textile business. He later went on to study at the University of Toronto and built Opportunest, a career platform that, as per him, reached more than 14,000 users across Canada and the US.
“I had spent most of my life finding things I didn’t fully know how to do, and then figuring them out,” he stated.
After multiple discussions with members of the Zomato team, Harshit met Goyal at his farmhouse on December 24, 2024. Instead of a usual interview, they talked for around an hour about business, life and ambition.
At the end of the meeting, Goyal asked him to collect an offer letter from his office. However, it was not for the advertised Chief of Staff role. Harshit was asked to assist build a venture that did not yet have a name, team or fixed idea.
“Two minutes after leaving his farmhouse, I sent in my resignation from my job in Toronto,” he wrote.
Harshit’s post does not say that he paid Rs 20 lakh to join the new venture.
https://t.co/MjWeb0fFPY
— harshit (@harshitmul) July 24, 2026
How LAT Aerospace took shape
The venture eventually became LAT Aerospace. Harshit said its initial phase involved exploring different ideas and holding more than 100 discussions with pilots, engineers, manufacturers and other industry professionals.
“We didn’t even have a stable answer to the most basic question: What exactly are we building?” he wrote.
As the aircraft plan developed, his responsibilities ranged from studying regional aviation economics and aerodynamics to hiring, finding office space and managing operations and supply-chain work.
According to Harshit, the team expanded from around five people to nearly 55. He said Goyal encouraged them to build and test hardware quickly, learn from failures and return with an improved machine.
“Done is better than perfect,” Harshit wrote, describing one of his biggest lessons from the experience.
Why did he leave LAT Aerospace?
Harshit said remaining at LAT would have been the safer decision because he had responsibility, access and further opportunities to learn. However, he wanted to build a company of his own.
While at LAT, he had also been experimenting with AI agents and voice systems. His attention eventually shifted to India’s real estate sector, particularly rental housing.
“I knew I would regret not pursuing it. So, I quit,” he wrote.
Harshit is now building Homeie, a consumer proptech venture starting with rentals in India. He said the company eventually aims to support residents throughout their rental journey, from finding and moving into a home to payments, services, maintenance and relocation.
His post received encouraging responses. “Excellent write-up. May you shine in this as well. Great storytelling skills!” one user wrote. Another reacted with one word: “Courage!”
Homeie is now assembling its founding team across AI engineering, product, operations and growth.
