A Delhi-based startup founder has sparked conversation online after sharing a candid glimpse into his daily grind. Taking to Instagram, entrepreneur Nikhil Gaur posted a video showing himself alone in his office at an unusually early hour, highlighting the less glamorous side of building a business.
A Delhi founder posted a candid video on startup struggles. (Instagram/nikhill.gaurr )
(Also read: Delhi founder says his confidence collapsed after quitting high-paying Google job: ‘My ego didn’t survive’)
In the clip, he says, “It’s 5:00 am in the morning right now, and I just came to the office. Right now, literally, there’s not a single person in the office. Let me just show you around. Literally, not a single person in the office right now.”
Gaur goes on to introduce himself and his venture, adding, “So, I’m a founder, and I’m building this startup named Hypeschool. And this happens to me every week, that every week in the business, there’s some kind of stress, something goes wrong, I don’t get sleep all night, and then I end up coming to the office at extremely odd times, sometimes at 2:00 am in the morning, sometimes at 3:00 am in the morning, and today is just one of those days.”
‘People glorify startups a lot’
Reflecting on the popular perception of entrepreneurship, Gaur explains, “Now, people glorify startups a lot, they glorify founders a lot. Everyone wants to be a startup founder, but they don’t really know that this is the actual backstory behind building a startup.”
He further adds, “And honestly, it’s not that tough; it’s only about that additional 20% effort. Whoever puts in that additional 20% effort and can bear that stress, can build a startup or business or basically anything.”
Encouraging viewers to stay consistent, he says, “So, hustle, work, there will be stress, there will be chaos, you’ll be scared, but don’t give up, keep at it. Nothing is built in one or two months or overnight. It takes years and years to build something actually good and make money out of it. So don’t lose hope and be at it. We’re all in this together. Cheers.”
The video was shared with the caption, “keep at it”.
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The clip quickly drew reactions from viewers, many of whom related to the founder’s experience. One user wrote, “This is the reality no one shows.” Another commented, “Respect for the honesty, not just the success story.” A third said, “People only see funding news, not sleepless nights like this.”
Others echoed similar sentiments, with one noting, “Startup life looks cool on LinkedIn but this is the truth,” while another added, “That extra 20% effort is actually everything.” One more user remarked, “Motivating and scary at the same time.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)