n the ongoing conversation about work-life balance, Daksh Gupta, CEO of the US-based startup Greptile, has stirred debate by openly sharing the demanding working conditions at his company. In a recent post on X, Gupta revealed that after discussing these conditions publicly, his inbox was flooded with “20 percent death threats and 80 percent job applications.”
Gupta, an Indian-origin CEO, wrote, “Recently I started telling candidates right in the first interview that Greptile offers no work-life balance, typical workdays start at 9 am and end at 11 pm, often later, and we work Saturdays, sometimes also Sundays. I emphasize the environment is high-stress, and there is no tolerance for poor work.”
Initially uncertain about his approach, Gupta defended his transparency, stating, “It felt wrong to do this at first but I’m convinced now that the transparency is good, and I’d much rather people know this from the get-go rather than find out on their first day.” He added that the upfront honesty helps filter out unsuitable candidates and attract those willing to embrace the challenging environment. “It might be hard to believe but there exist people that want this, while a minority. The transparency exists to identify them.”
However, Gupta acknowledged that such intense working conditions are temporary. He explained, “This way of working isn’t supposed to be forever because it isn’t sustainable. It’s the first year or two of a startup which is like reaching escape velocity. Like people said in the comments, as we mature we’ll hire older, more experienced people who have families and can’t work 100 hours a week, and naturally, we would adapt like any good organization.”
Addressing speculation about whether his approach was influenced by his Indian roots, Gupta clarified, “I am like this not because I am Indian, but because I am San Franciscan.”
The post sparked mixed reactions online. While some praised Gupta for his candidness and for standing by his words instead of deleting the post, others criticized his policies, emphasizing the importance of adequate rest and work-life balance to sustain productivity.
