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Bengaluru startup’s strategy changed weekly based on founder’s latest read, claims ex-employee

Online discussions erupted over chaotic startup leadership driven by popular business books.

Published on: Mar 18, 2025, 10:54:48 IST
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Bengaluru’s startup culture is known for its fast-paced and dynamic environment, but a recent revelation by a former employee's experience has raised eyebrows.

Representational Image.
Representational Image.

A user on X, Akshay G Jain, shared that his friend, who worked in growth at a Bengaluru-based startup, quit because the company's strategy kept shifting based on whatever book the founder was reading that week.

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Read his post here:

How did X users react?

"Which book will end this startup?" one user quipped, mocking the unpredictable decision-making.

Another chimed in, "I’d say you’re exaggerating, but I know someone who worked exactly like this, and he’s still running a ‘business.’"

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A few users pointed out that this phenomenon wasn’t limited to books alone. "This happens a lot. Sometimes it's podcasts, tweets, and blogs too—not just books," one person noted, highlighting how some startup founders chase the latest trends rather than a consistent strategy.

One particularly striking comment mentioned a founder who took pride in being "paranoid and narcissistic"—because he read it in a book.

The post has gained significant traction, amassing over 104,000 views, more than 2,000 likes, and over 100 reposts.

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In another instance, recently, CRED founder Kunal Shah took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight this growing trend, emphasising the need for broader adoption. He stated, "Bengaluru startups are increasingly using AI to be hyper-productive. But it seems only 20 per cent are breathing AI. Rest are waiting for a sign. This is your sign."

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anagha Deshpande

Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.

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