In the heart of India’s Silicon Valley—where multi-crore fundraises and glossy Forbes features are as common as mysteriously long work hours—a Bengaluru entrepreneur has struck a nerve with a satirical LinkedIn post that’s gone viral for shining a comic yet sharp spotlight on the startup intern experience.
Shravan Tickoo, founder of Rethink Systems, is no stranger to product management circles or witty commentary. But this time, his sarcasm cut a bit deeper as he described the everyday absurdities faced by young interns in high-octane startups. In his post, Tickoo painted a scene familiar to many:
Founders enjoy fat salaries, media recognition, and the thrill of closing million-dollar funding rounds.
The interns grind away at pitch decks, fix bugs on Sundays, and even get summoned via 2 AM voice notes—all for a reward that barely covers a pizza night.
The catch:
“Founder raises $5M + gets featured in Forbes. Intern: ₹500 Amazon voucher and a LinkedIn shoutout: ‘Big shoutout to our ninja!’ MODERN STARTUP KARMA 😂”
Not surprisingly, the post has sparked a wave of responses. While some LinkedIn users burst out laughing, saying, “Ninja is so on point.”
Others weren’t sure whether to cry or simply update their “learning opportunity” bingo cards. Critics pointed out that what’s served as “hustle culture” is, at times, just a buzzword salad tossed with a side of unpaid overtime and free coffee.
Yet, the humor also stings with reality.
One user lamented, “People who do most of the work get the least compensation.”
Another warned, “The intern you underpay today might be your strongest competition tomorrow.”
On the flip side, a few readers defended the founder grind, noting that the path to startup riches comes with its own mountain of sleepless nights and stress. Some called the post “tone-deaf”, arguing that oversimplifying founder challenges does little justice to the entrepreneurial journey.
Still, whether taken as biting satire or a call for better workplace norms, the post has thrown open a bigger conversation: Is “startup karma” finally catching up with India’s most bustling businesses? Should the ecosystem rethink what passes as recognition in return for real, hard work?
While the debate rages on, one thing’s certain: in the battle of equity versus Amazon vouchers, it seems the internet sides with the interns—for now, at least.
