Startup founder flags 7 pm sign-off, Gen Z employee’s response goes viral: ‘Im just a babysitter’

A workplace exmodify at a startup in Gurugram has triggered a broader debate on work culture and employee expectations after being shared online.

The incident was posted on LinkedIn by Nishant Joshi, who recounted a conversation involving his younger cousin employed at an early-stage startup. The post described how a routine office interaction escalated into a discussion on expectations around commitment and work hours.

According to the account, the employee logged off at 7 pm, which reportedly did not sit well with the company’s founder. The following morning, the employee was called in for a meeting where the founder spoke at length about the importance of working harder and taking full responsibility, stated Joshi. The founder emphasised the necessary for adopting a ‘founder’s mindset’ and encouraged the employee to treat the company as his own, suggesting a deeper level of involvement.

The exmodify took a different turn when the employee responded directly to the remarks, stated Joshi. He described the reply as highlighting the gap between expectations and compensation. The employee stated that he would treat the company as his own only if he were given a 50 per cent equity stake, adding that in the current situation he viewed himself as a temporary caretaker whose workday concludeed at 7 pm.

Joshi applyd the episode to underline a wider concern within startup culture, stating that many organisations expect employees to take on pressures similar to founders without offering equivalent rewards. He stated that companies often demand the intensity and responsibility associated with leadership roles while offering entest-level salaries, adding that if businesses expect employees to believe like owners, they should also provide them with a tangible share in the enterprise.

The post gained traction online, prompting varied responses from applyrs. Some supported the employee’s stance, stating that such expectations often arise when roles and deliverables are not clearly defined. Others agreed with the analogy presented, stating that promoting a culture of ownership without corresponding financial incentives places undue stress on employees.

The incident has since fuelled a wider conversation around work-life balance, compensation structures and evolving expectations in startup environments.

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First Published on April 19, 2026, 21:31:01 IST

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