A social-media post by a 23-year-old tech founder has sparked viral debate about work-life balance and startup culture.
Daksh Gupta, who lives in San Francisco, is the founder of Greptile—a company that builds tools to help software firms detect bugs with AI. Recently, he shared an unfiltered look at his company’s intense work environment on X (formerly Twitter), outlining the rigorous expectations he sets for his employees.
Gupta said that he knows he wants a certain type of candidate to thrive in his business. “I want to only hire people who specifically want this intensity and won’t just tolerate it,” he told Newsweek. He said that many of his hires come from Big Tech firms where he said they were “underworked and bored.”
In his post, Gupta said that, during interviews, he makes it clear that Greptile offers “no work-life balance.” He described a typical workday at the company being between 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., often extending later, with Saturdays and sometimes Sundays required. “I emphasize the environment is high stress, and there is no tolerance for poor work,” Gupta wrote on X. He added that he always tells potential hires this, so they know what they are signing up for.
The Global Life-Work Balance Index 2024, published by Remote, places the United States near the bottom of its list—ranking 55th out of 60 countries for work-life balance. With a score of just 31.82 out of 100, the U.S. falls almost 50 points behind New Zealand, which took the top spot.
Daksh Gupta, founder of software company Greptile, with an inset picture of the post on X. It has sparked viral debate.
Daksh Gupta
In contrast, New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, and Canada—countries that top the list—are recognized for their employee-friendly policies, shorter work weeks, and statutory leave. For instance, New Zealand offers 32 days of annual leave and is known for a more-relaxed working culture. “The U.S. ranks low on this list because of its entrenched capitalist framework prioritizing profit over people,” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll previously told Newsweek.
Gupta’s post, initially intended for his follower count, has since amassed over 1.5 million views, quickly drawing both praise and criticism. The X post has since been reshared on Reddit where there has been a mixed reaction.
“At least he’s letting candidates nope the heck out of there before it’s too late,” wrote one viewer, while others questioned the ethics and sustainability of such a demanding work environment. “Your team would be more effective if they have lives outside work and were in touch with reality,” posted another commenter on Reddit.
recently i started telling candidates right in the first interview that greptile offers no work-life-balance, typical workdays start at 9am and end at 11pm, often later, and we work saturdays, sometimes also sundays. i emphasize the environment is high stress, and there is no…
— Daksh Gupta (@dakshgup) November 9, 2024
Despite the critics online, Gupta wasn’t deterred. “I’m not generally bothered by what people say about me. I have had people I respect tell me I was dumb, that I wasn’t going to make it, and that my startup was stupid. The same thing coming from strangers is harmless in comparison,” he said.
He added that his post was not intended as prescriptive advice for all. “I think most people shouldn’t live like this,” Gupta said, adding: “I don’t veil our environment by calling it ‘fast-paced’ or ‘dynamic’ hoping to lure people that want some balance in life and surprising them with 100-hour work weeks. I call it ‘no work-life balance’ and ‘high-stress’ to select for people that want and will enjoy exactly it.”
For some people online, there was an appreciation for Gupta’s straightforward approach. “Transparency is good. I would much rather never accept their job offer than start working there and immediately quit,” said one Reddit user.
