‘US is still at the top’: Why Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas continues to believe in the American dream

Srinivas believes America’s startup culture is unlike anywhere else. According to him, people are encouraged to take risks, think differently, and chase ambitious ideas instead of simply following established paths. 

‘America rewards people with bold ideas’

During the July 1 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Srinivas explained why he believes the US continues to stand out for entrepreneurs. “I always thought America’s the only country where you can come here and have an idea, and people listen to you and encourage you to go pursue it. The risk-seeking culture is just incredible,” he said.

He added that in many other countries, people often feel pressure to follow authority instead of challenging it. “Everywhere else, you kind of are either explicitly or implicitly forced to defer to authority,” he said.

Srinivas, who grew up in India, moved to the US to study at the University of California, Berkeley. He later co-founded the AI-powered search engine Perplexity in 2022.

Looking back at his early days in America, he said Google was the company almost everyone wanted to work for. But what impressed him even more was that the US gave people the confidence to build companies that could compete with giants like Google.

According to him, Americans are open to fresh thinking and are willing to support people trying something new. 

A culture where questioning is encouraged

Srinivas also spoke about his experience in American universities. He said people were not afraid to question ideas or give direct feedback, which helped him grow. “That spirit of questioning is encouraged a lot here,” he said, adding that he often received honest opinions about his work during his academic years.

Podcast host Joe Rogan asked whether he felt the same culture existed in India. Srinivas replied that it would be unfair to say it does not exist at all. “It’s a simplification to say it’s not anywhere else,” he said, before adding, “it’s not as encouraged.”

He went on to explain what the American dream means to him. Rather than focusing only on money or success, he said it is about having people take your ideas seriously. According to Srinivas, that is “why America’s still at the top.”  Srinivas’ comments come at a time when many entrepreneurs are questioning whether the US is still the best country to launch a business.

Immigration changes have created fresh hurdles 

In September 2025, the Trump administration introduced a $100,000 fee for companies sponsoring certain new H-1B visas. The policy is currently tied up in court. 

The proposed fee raised concerns that startups would find it harder to hire skilled international workers because they could not match the budgets of large companies. The move sparked concern across the startup world. Unlike large technology companies, many startups said they could not afford such a steep fee, leading some to freeze hiring or rethink their recruitment plans for international talent. 

While existing H-1B holders and visa renewals were largely unaffected, the new rule made it much harder and more expensive for companies looking to hire skilled workers from abroad. 

At the same time, the administration also pushed for higher minimum salary requirements for H-1B workers, further increasing hiring costs for employers. 

Meanwhile, the green card backlog continued to be a major hurdle for Indian professionals. Although some employment-based categories have moved forward slightly over time, long waiting lists and frequent delays mean thousands of applicants, including highly skilled workers, continue to face years of uncertainty before getting permanent residency. 

Earlier this year, Srinivas weighed in on the wider H-1B debate. He argued that the conversation should focus more on illegal immigration than skilled worker visas. He has also pointed out that layoffs have affected Indian tech workers too, saying immigration policies should be driven by facts and merit rather than nationality.