AI startup’s CEO reveals company’s grueling work culture

In a tweet, Gupta was clear and transparent with potential employees, outlining the reality of life at Greptile. He explained the intense 84-hour workweeks, where the clock ticks late into the night and weekends are swallowed whole by work. In a tweet, he wrote, “Recently, I started telling candidates right in the first interview that Greptile offers no work-life balance. Typical workdays start at 9 a.m. and end at 11 p.m., often later, and we work Saturdays, sometimes also Sundays.”

He added, “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.”

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The tweet quickly went viral, garnering over 1.6 million views, along with thousands of comments and retweets, sparking a heated debate over work hours and work-life balance—topics that often generate strong opinions online. Some accused the young entrepreneur of exploiting workers, while others praised his dedication. The story, first covered by Business Insider, highlighted comments from irked workers questioning what some described as a “toxic culture.”

One user asked, “If you can’t figure out the very obvious pitfall here, that’s concerning. It’s a competition question: why would a candidate choose to work for you when you’re asking them to work twice as hard without double the compensation?” Another commented, “Transparency is great, but what makes you think this will help your company succeed over just giving weekends off to increase productivity and improve work quality in fewer hours? What’s the trade-off?” While Gupta addressed some of the comments, he followed up with a more detailed reaction to his post soon after.

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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.

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.”