Yesterday, I joined a start-up as an MD. Today, I left the job.
Why?
1) Four google meetings with the founder so far involved more than two hours each of discussions - including his personal life, random stories, literally unnecessary stuff that he just had to talk about with the plea that that's how he thinks. I did try to bring structure to the ambiguity. Rather, was even considering becoming his chat-GPT - for that's how he was treating the conversations.
2) Only thing available with the firm were excessive excel sheets. Data and more data about imagined revenues. While being optimistic is fine, yet wasting time in so much calculations not just of yours, but even of others - is simply fancy and not at all practical. I did try to offer possible vendors; basically some plan to ground the idea... at least a month long strategy. Instead I was shushed with authority and the strategy was subdued with more excessive stories.
3) I realized I would have to give a lot of time and energy and the attitude of the founder seemed pretty fluttery and dreamy without any logical approach to it. While my task was to bring in structure, but he wanted me to be the face and build image, yet continue creating a fallible product aspiration without any spine to it. Our values didn't align.
4) Realizing the temperamental nature of the founder and his record of earlier failed start-ups, plus him mentioning again and again that he may suddenly leave the entire idea if he gets bored; I wanted something concrete. So, it seemed only fair - to ask for a month's advance salary. One because, it was a WFH thing. there wasn't any office. I didn't know the guy. I needed both a bank statement and some kind of surety. He outright rejected it.
5) And though I was made to join meetings, get to work right from the first day; yet there was no enrolments with documents or bank accounts. the only paper process was 7 pages long annexure that I had to sign!!! Yet absolutely no process from HR's department. Rather, on demanding to be enrolled and the moment I asked for advance; suddenly it was HR giving me work that too totally irrelevant to my post.
I then politely refused to continue working. He got defensive. Played authority. and from his ego sent some fluttery e-mail calling himself as 'we' ... 'we do this'. 'we don't allow this'! Come on! You are a single unit firm. The only person in the company is your HR who is also not at all efficient.
Why do companies all over expect blind obedience?
Why are most of the founders actually so cut off from real world?
This founder had the audacity to call IITians and people from IIM as donkeys during a meeting. Totally showed his attitude towards education.
And that's the case all over. IAS category officers need to work under uneducated ministers. Really sensible and talented people need to work under really haughty uncultured people.
While I was offered really a good salary, a great position with even possibility of profit percentage from the imagined revenue; but was it all worth it?
The fact that he outrightly denied it all at the first mention of money - is the answer.
I would have had to suffer silently each day with his tedious talks.
That's the way of the world I guess - Either earn well by giving in to stupidity or stay in survival but keep your dignity.
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