A Bengaluru founder’s tweet about wanting candidates who can work for nearly 80 hours a week has sparked an intense discussion on social media about the Indian workplace culture. Though he received some backlash over the tweet, the founder has shared why he thinks employees need to work “60–80 hours a week.”
Kumar wrote about hiring a “full or intern stack engineer” for his company and listed the requirements or skills that candidates should have to apply for a job there.
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He said that candidates for the onsite role in Bengaluru must work six days a week and be able to “pull off 60-80 hours per week.”
“Not looking for a beginner. Not looking for a cracked dev either (if you are, then good). Someone who believes in Runable, its goal to become the ‘General AI Agent For Every Task’ and has no commitment issues,” he added.
Why the long workweek?
Kumar, in a statement to HT.com, explained the reason behind his requirements. “I believe your 20s are the time to push your limits, learn fast, and build a strong foundation for your career.”
{{/usCountry}}Kumar, in a statement to HT.com, explained the reason behind his requirements. “I believe your 20s are the time to push your limits, learn fast, and build a strong foundation for your career.”
{{/usCountry}}“If someone isn’t willing to put in those 60–80 hours a week to grow during that phase, it feels unfair to later blame the government or companies for a lack of opportunities.”
How did social media react?
An individual posted, “80 hours doesn’t feel healthy, tbh. That's like more than 12 hours per day?” Another suggested, “Why not just hire someone really competent so they work 60 hours? 80 hours signals some low-efficiency work.”
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A third remarked, “6x days/week should be illegal wt*.” Kumar responded, “How many hours are you willing to work?” A fourth wrote, “Requirements? You should be exploitable and gullible.”
Who is Umesh Kumar?
According to his LinkedIn bio, Umesh Kumar completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee. He co-founded Runable in April 2025. Currently, he serves as the CEO of the seven-month-old company.