Indian-American CEO Receives Death Threats After Revealing 84-Hour Workweeks

Indian-American: CEO of AI startup Greptile, Daksh Gupta, An Indian-American CEO recently faced online backlash after revealing that he expects his employees to work more than 14 hours a day including weekends. In a post on X on November 9.

Sharing that he informs his candidates about the company’s demanding work culture during interviews. He explained that typical workdays at Greptile begin at 9 AM and often stretch past 11 PM and working on weekends is common.

“I emphasize the environment is high-stress, and there is no tolerance for poor work. 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. Curious if other people do this and if there’s some obvious pitfall I’m missing," the San Francisco-based CEO added.

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“Inbox 20% death threats, 80% job applications”

“Now that this is on the front page of Reddit and my inbox is 20% death threats and 80% job applications, here’s a follow-up,” the Indian-origin CEO chimed in with another tweet.

Gupta defended his stance, acknowledging the harsh realities of the tech industry, particularly for those outside the US. “to everyone who is overworked and underpaid at their software jobs esp outside the US, I feel for you, and I’m sorry this struck a nerve. the people that work here had 6-fig 20 hr/week jobs before this, and can go back to them any time,” he said.

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He made it clear that his company's super-charged work vibe was just a short-term thing, necessary for the early stages of a startup. He clarified that this wasn't a sustainable model and that the company would adapt as it grew. He also talked about the naysayers, saying that even though not everyone's cup of tea, this kind of work environment was perfect for a certain kind of person who thrives under pressure.

Finally, he addressed the racial backlash, stating that his approach to work isn’t shaped by his Indian heritage but by his San Francisco mindset. “lot of indian hate coming from this post so i want to clarify that i am like this not because im indian but because im San Franciscan.”

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